Part 1: First Look

MSRP: $29.00 Web Site: www.tamiyausa.com Production of the M20 Armored Utility Car was started by the Ford Motor Company in July of 1943. 3,791 units were produced through June 1945. It was based on the M8 armored car chassis. It was used as an amunition carrier, a troop carrier, and a personal vehicle for senior staff. Tamiya has followed its 1:48 scale M8 Armored car with kit # 32556-1800, U.S. M20 Armored Utility Car. The kit contains 5 sprues of parts in O.D. plastic, a cast metal chassis bottom, 2 small screws, and a decal sheet containing the markings for 2 vehicles. Sprue A x 2: Contains the wheels, springs, towing pintle, mine racks, mines, light guards, and other small detail parts. Sprue B: Carries the major body parts and drive train parts, as well as the muffler. Sprue C: Holds the interior tub, fighting compartment cowling, machine gun ring, map table, bazooka, and 2 standing figures (there is no driver figure). Sprue T: Has the machine gun and pioneer tools. The molding plastic parts is clean and crisp with reasonably good detail and no flash. Ejector pin marks will be invisible on the built model unless you leave the front hatches open, as there are marks on the inside of these. The metal chassis bottom is preprimed in gray. The decals are crisp and in register. Markings are provided for two vehicles: · 1st Platoon, C Co, 82nd Armored Recon Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, France, August, 1944. · 1st Platoon, B Co, 807th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Germany, 1945. The kit supplies both the mine racks and the late war side stowage bins. The interior has molded in seats and no steering wheel, gear shift, or control panel. There is no stowage included. With the exception of the lack of interior detail, this looks to be a very nice kit. A full build review will follow. I would like to thank Tamiya USA and IPMS for the review sample.

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