Review

This offering from MiniArt is packaged in a cardboard tray with an additional card lid. The contents are packaged in a single plastic bag, the clear parts are in another bag within the main one and the photo etch and decals are in a clear card envelope. One complaint is that due to all the plastic parts being in a single plastic bag, I found a number of the sprues locked together, which could easily have resulted in breakages due to the finesse of some of the mouldings. As regards moulding faults, nothing obvious jumps out at me - I did not notice any ejector pin marks or flash that will cause any problems and so on this occasion the packaging has done its job.

The chassis of this vehicle is a multi part assembly, and while enables a very high level of detail to be provided there are no substantial cross members to ensure the chassis is assembled squarely. This chassis will however, lend itself to being assembled on a gridded cutting mat at the simplest end or the use of set squares. An engine is also included and this again has a very high level of detail present as the cables for firing the spark plugs while not part of the model, the terminals are provided and the root for the leads plus their length included in the instructions.

Leaf spring suspension units are well detailed within the model and you will be very pleased of them should you take a ride in a vehicle such as this, when you see the wheels. The wheels are I believe cast metal, with solid rubber tyres and anybody who is old enough to remember bikes with these wheels can think about how hard the ride will be. Returning to the oily areas, a very well detailed radiator needs to be assembled from no less than 14 parts. Actuator rods are indicated for use in the model and on this occasion MiniArt has provided line drawings for you to shape a wire for the roll and I do think that these will be difficult due to their very small size and in the case of one the size of the bends required in it - because it will need to be accurate. Axles, braking arms and transmission are nice details to my eyes due to their large agricultural look. Once you have completed the mechanical and oily areas of the model it will almost be a shame to cover most of the detail up. 

The bodywork of the vehicle has been nicely replicated to continue the home-made look of the armoured plate. There is of course detail well replicated on the surfaces in particular rivet detail, and the way in which the bed is secured to the chassis. This has been very accurately replicated, but due to it being U bolts that detail is going to require good eyesight and a steady hand to get it right. The interior of the cab is as you would expect basic, but I give MiniArt an extra mark for providing a seat that has a textured finish, rather than looking like a brand new addition to the vehicle. The result is a very unusual and highly detailed model of an unusual subject. This for me is one of those models that calls for the bodywork to be left off and the engineering to be exposed in all its glory, in addition to perhaps doing one with the bodywork on it. A single finishing option is provided for this release, which is: The Motor Bandits, Royal Naval Air Service, Dunkirk-Antwerp, Autumn 1914.

Conclusion

This is a very unusual offering, and to my mind unique in its appearance. Armoured vehicles of this period were very few and far between, and so an armoured lorry I am sure caught the attention of anyone who saw it. Strip away the bodywork and you have an exceptionally well detailed mechanical parts of this period that are worthy of their own subject matter.