Introduction

Armies need a lot of things moved by truck, but trucks sometimes break down and need to be towed back to the motor pool for repairs.

As such, in 1941, the United States' Department of the Army contracted with the Ward LaFrance company located in Elmira Heights, NY, to build a six-wheeled wrecker. Production was also handled by Kenworth Trucks in Yakima, WA. Designated the M1000, the vehicle was produced in four variants:

• Series 1: equipped with 11.25 - 20 truck tires and no rear winch
• Series 2: the spare tires were moved to diagonally behind the cab, and on the passenger side base of the crane.
• Series 3: had no trailer hitches front or back, and were produced for Lend-Lease to Commonwealth countries.
• Series 4:  crane was changed to a Gar Wood US5G with its characteristic curved boom. 

Interestingly, Ward LaFrance was from the same family as Truckson LaFrance, who founded the fire-fighting equipment manufacturing company American LaFrance.

Thunder Models is working its way through the M1000 line in 1/35th scale, having released the Series 1 & 2 already, and having announced the Series 4 for 2025. This review is of their take on the Series 3 model.

Kit Contents

Inside the usual beautiful Thunder Models box you will find:

• 7 sprues of gray plastic
• 3 small frets of 3D resin-printed parts
• 3 panes of window "glass"
• 1 fret of clear plastic lenses for the headlights
• 5 small frets of photo-etch
• copper chain
• gray twine
• tiny sheet of decals
• small sheet of masking material for the windows
• 34-page instruction booklet with painting guide

The Review

I adore Thunder Models because their kits are not another Tiger or Sherman, but bring to styrene vehicles that the mainstream manufacturers haven't and likely won't tackle. Tanks are fun, but they and softskins break down and need towing, so this Ward LaFrance wrecker will find a definite place in my motor pool, and likely many other motor pools as well.

The moldings are all quite crisp as the photos below will show, and look like they will require a minimum of cleanup. The engine looks like a minor masterpiece in its own right, and all it lacks is the wiring harness if you intend to leave the bonnet open or off entirely.

The crane has superb detailing, and will build up nicely from what I can see.

My only quibble would be the styrene wheels; I'm happy they are not vinyl, but I would love to see some resin replacements available. Since many of you build straight out of the box, the styrene is the preferred choice over vinyl.

And be advised that, from what I have been able to tell, the photo etch is required in the build, and is not "extra."

Painting & Markings

The instructions include three options for painting:

• Olive drab, Italy 1943
• Olive drab, Belgium 1944-45
• Tan "civilian" (??) version

Conclusion

It's a joy to see companies like Thunder Models tackling obscure non-tanks like the M1000 which served everywhere into the 1950s (I plan to build mine in French service in Indochina).

Thanks to Thunder Models for this review sample. Be sure to say you say the review on Armorama when purchasing yours.