Tamiya

1:35 British Light Utility Car 10HP

Kit Number: 35308

Reviewed by  Chuck Bush, IPMS# 42838

MSRP: $35.00 Website: www.tamiyausa.com This British "Car, Light Utility" was based on a passenger car chassis. They were produced by several manufactures and used throughout WWII from Dunkirk to North Africa. Nicknamed "Tilly", they were powered by a 10 hp engine, lacked 4-wheel drive, and poorly suited for off road assignments. They were used in rear areas and on British airbases in a variety of roles. Tamiya follows their 1:48 scale Tilly with this excellent 1:35 scale kit. The kit is molded in green plastic with no flash. The few ejection pin marks mostly are in areas that won't be seen, and will be easy to fix. Detail is Tamiya's usual high quality. The kit is well engineered and the instruction sheet is very well done. The decal sheet is in register and provides markings for 4 vehicles, one of which is the Royal Netherlands Princess Brigade. There are also instrument decals for the dashboard. The decals are a bit on the heavy side, but react well to Microsol. The options for the four vehicles are called out clearly in the instructions, as are colors for detail painting (Tamiya paint numbers). Let's start at the front of the vehicle and look at the options. There are 2 grills, 2 sign plates, two sets of headlights (one blackout and one with clear lenses). The hood can be opened to view a very nice engine. The exhaust can be built to the left or right. 4 hubcaps are provided. The rear seats can be positioned up or folded down and the cab doors can be shown opened or closed. Both types of turn signals are provided. If you use the canvas bed cover (tilt) the rear cover can be shown rolled up or lowered. Both wooden and metal tail gates are provided, and these can be shown opened or closed. A seated driver figure is included. Construction starts with the engine, which is made up of 9 parts plus the oil pan and brace. Some wiring could be added if desired. This is then added to the chassis, along with the suspension and drive train. The rims and tires are one piece with an insert for the back. The cab interior has the steering wheel, gear shift, seats and a fire extinguisher. There is a separate windshield and side windows in clear plastic. A spare tire and a shovel are provided to mount on the roof. This is a fun and easy kit to build, and one that I would highly recommend to any modeler. Fit is excellent and the options are a nice bonus. Another home run for Tamiya. I would like to thank Tamiya and IPMS/USA for the review sample.