Reviewed by Neil Pepper
Our thanks to Hannants for the review sample – get this kit here now at: www.hannants.co.uk
The AB 41 (named after its first year of production, 1941) was based on the machine gun armed Autoblinda 40. Made with an all-riveted construction, the AB 41 had four-wheel drive and a four wheel steering system that proved troublesome, the spare wheels fitted to its sides were free to rotate, thus helping the vehicle over rough terrain and allowing it to drive over higher obstacles. It could also be fitted with wheels that would allow it to run on railway tracks and some were modified further to better serve in this role, with the addition of sand boxes and rail guards to deflect objects from the rails. This version was designated “AB 41 Ferroviaria”.
It had six forward gears and four reverse gears, with a driving position at the front and one in the rear, so two crew members were drivers. Its chassis was later used on the AS 42 “Camionetta Sahariana”. About 550 vehicles were built in all. It was planned to upgrade the AB 41 with a 47 mm anti-tank gun as the AB 43 but those plans were disrupted by the armistice in September 1943.
In The Box…
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The box contains four plastic sprues in a dark sand colour with over eighty parts on them, six rubber tyres, a metal chassis and decals for four different vehicles. In fact when you look in the box and at the sprues the parts breakdown is logical and from the instructions and my previous experience, you should be in for a pretty trouble-free build.
I built this kit in 1:35 scale a while ago and enjoyed that, so I am looking forward to building this one and trying out one of the colourful paint schemes supplied in the kit. The mouldings look very crisp and fine and are moulded to a high standard. It also looks as if there is not a lot to cleaning up to be done. The bonnet and drive-shaft detail look particularly nicely done and should take a wash very well when it comes to the weathering phases later on.
I think it’s time to get the tools out and get started.
Update:
See the completed build of the Italeri Autoblinda AB 43 1:48 in our Armour Finished Now section