Cold War Utility Vehicles (small)

[BootsDMS]

Clearly, not armour, but I had to put it somewhere.

In a somewhat abstract train of thought (rare for me!) prompted by the discussion within the Trabant 601 & Citroen HY topic I just realised - not in a blinding flash I assure you - but as modelllers, essentially the Cold War period, we’re quite well off for soft-skinned utility vehicles.

I admit to focussing on NATO’s Central Region, so forgive me, but a quick and dirty list comes up with:

M151 and variants

Land Rovers – several now available including early marks

Jeep and also easy enough to convert to the French variant

M38A1 Jeep

M37

Mercedes G Wagen

Iltis

M1008

HMMWV series

Belgian Minerva TT (3D printed model from Kevin Boon as discussed recently)

DAF YA 66 (Sylly’s Models – who also produce the Lightweight Land Rover)

Munga – at last in injected form but likely to be a challenge as discussed elsewhere.

With the departure of both Accurate Armour and Firing LIne we’ll probably never see the Austin Champ or the 1T Land Rover again, but one never knows.

I shouldn’t overlook the opposition of course, and for some time now we’ve had the GAZ 69 and UAZ 469.

As also discussed on the Trabant 601/Citroen topic, an East German P3 would be nice, ditto the Grenz Trabant, but I suspect unlikely.

Anyway, I’m not trying to generate yet another endless wish list; however, whilst not complacent, I do think we’re quite well off re the smaller, ubiquitous vehicle fleet, which I often use as a sort of secondary vehicle to my larger AFVs.

Others may differ in their views, and as I realise, I may well have missed some, but that reflects my rather narrow field, ie that of the Cold War in Europe.

[ayovtshev]

Let me add a few more, Brian!

From the opposing side and early in the Cold War:

Skoda 1101 VO Tudor:

Pictured vehicle has Bulgarian military registration number.

Kitted in 1/35 (resin) from both MMK and Triglav Model.

GAZ M-72

Not a regular everyday utility vehicle, but likely a vehicle for the top brass.

All wheel drive. Pictured specimen was in use with Bulgarian Army and is currently on display in a museum in Lovetch,Bulgaria.

Kitted recently by Guntower Models in resin.

And let’s not forget the GAZ-67B(Trumpeter),

Cheers,

Angel

[BootsDMS]

Always interesting to see what was the other side of the Iron Curtain Angel; thanks!

[loncray]

That Skoda Tudor tho… that is the Fairey Gannett of the small vehicle world.

[metalhead85]

Tudor? Looks like a 4- door to me ! Lol

[Frenchy]

What about the Italian Fiat Campagnola ? It was one of the contenders for the French Army jeep replacement program in the mid 70’s

I’m not sure the kit above is still available though…

H.P.

[BootsDMS]

It would be nice if it was.

[Uncle-Heavy]

VW T3 bus (Takom)
VW T2 bus (AK Interactive)
The Mercedes by Diopark (surely used as staff car somewhere)

Zastava AR-55 https://www.scalemates.com/kits/triglav-model-tm-1013-zastava-ar-55-kampanjola--1480317

[Frenchy]

@Uncle-Heavy

Zastava AR-55

Guess it’s a licence-built Fiat (1st generation Campagnola), like other Zastava models.

H.P.

[Uncle-Heavy]

WWII -Modern – 1/35 | WIP 3D

[BootsDMS]

I suppose I deliberately ignored the minibuses, because, well, they’re minibuses (although I appreciate there are other versions). But you are right to include them - and they too augment whatever AFV one might wish to display alongside, although that tends to be my own display methodology admittedly.

I am sure the Merc was used as a staff car for senior officers by the Germans; I certainly recall it as the mount of the COS HQ Northern Army Group when I was there, and very smart it looked too; a gloss version of Gelboliv, scarlet star-plate (2 stars as a Major General) NORTHAG Francisca emblem, pennant flying, and the black-on-white registration plate beginning, as I described in my recent Land Rover project, with “X”.

[BootsDMS]

‘Missed the Zastava: well done Triglav.

[Uncle-Heavy]

You should have seen one of the supply group guys drive rallye on narrow forest roads in the winter with the T2 pickup we had. The other quartermaster who had the misfortune of riding with him woved to NEVER get in a vehicle with that dude again …
He was scared out of his wits …

[BootsDMS]

I suspect an exchange of underwear was relevant?

That reminds me of a not entirely dissimilar incident I had in Belize; it was decided that the HQ staff should deploy to the jungle for a week’s training. We transited to wherever the hell it was in a Bedford MK 4 Tonner (the Staff Officers flew out by helicopter); the climate had successfully predated the vehicle and there were gaping rust-lined holes in the cab floor. The driver came from whatever support unit was operating; halfway through the journey as we negotiated some extremely demanding terrain, he announced (I was next to him in the cab) “Sarge, I’m still too pissed to continue driving, you’ll have to takeover”.

I had no option - other than killing him as, well, he deserved it, so I took over and he passed out in the other seat; I was not HGV-trained. Luckily I could double-de-clutch which helped, (and always does when getting to grips with a strange vehicle) but I had certainly never been behind the wheel of a 4T truck before. Somehow, several adrenalin-laden hours later, we got to our destination; I punched the recumbent driver to wake him up.

[Uncle-Heavy]

@BootsDMS

I suspect an exchange of underwear was relevant?

He managed to keep it in, but he did close his eyes tightly and prayed to the Lord when
the met the big snowplow truck, full width of the road, in a curve at the bottom of a hill,
they were doing 90 or more km/h downhill. The rallye dude calmly pulled the pickup down in the snowy ditch bank on the inside curve and GUNNED it.
When they emerged behind the snowplow rallye dude told the other QM ‘You can open your eyes now’

[Frenchy]

Swedish Volvo Sugga TP 21 / RAPTGB 915

1/35 resin kit :

https://pilot-replicas.myshopify.com/products/volvo-sugga-tp-21-raptgb-915-in-1-35-scale-35r001

H.P.

[BootsDMS]

My God that looks a bit of a brute; nice to see it in 1/35 though. Would that, say, be appropriate for posing alongside an S Tank? Not that I’ve any intention of so doing - my stash is off the scale(!)

[Uncle-Heavy]

It could be used to take down small trees, my brother did during his military service …
Birches up to 2 inch diameter at bumper height …

The bodywork started off as a taxicab
and then they plopped the bodywork on a 4x4 chassis.
Brute? Yes indeed!

[Littorio]

@BootsDMS

With the departure of both Accurate Armour we’ll probably never see the Austin Champ

Brian, Newland Models acquired most of AA molds and has the Champ listed on his website. It will be a slow process though as he is going over the molds first before he puts the kits up for sale. All the ex AA Cold War British army trucks are listed!

[BootsDMS]

Well, that’s great news indeed!

I have one half-built and another in the stash, but that really is great. With the early Land Rovers coming out, and (hopefully) an emergent Champ, then that’s 50s/60s Cold War covered(!)