In Box Review of Testors/Italeri 1/35th Scale
U.S. Jeep Ambulance
Kit no. 776
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 14.50 Euro ($15.36) depending on where you shop.
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 14.50 Euro ($15.36) depending on where you shop.
HISTORY:
Jeep is a brand of American automobiles that is a division of FCA US LLC (formerly Chrysler Group, LLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The former Chrysler Corporation acquired the Jeep brand, along with the remaining assets of its owner American Motors, in 1987. Jeep's current product range consists solely of sport utility vehicles and off-road vehicles, but has also included pickup trucks in the past.
The original Jeep was the prototype Bantam BRC. Willys MB Jeeps went into production in 1941 specifically for the military, arguably making them the oldest four-wheel drive mass-production vehicles now known as SUVs. The Jeep became the primary light 4-wheel-drive vehicle of the United States Army and the Allies during World War II, as well as the postwar period. The term became common worldwide in the wake of the war.
The spartan, cramped, and unstintingly functional jeep became the ubiquitous World War II four-wheeled personification of Yankee ingenuity and cocky, can-do determination.
The first civilian models were produced in 1945. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover. Many Jeep variants serving similar military and civilian roles have since been designed in other nations.
Italeri is an older prolific model company based in Italy. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. Testors is based in the U.S. and at one time was the importer and distributor of Italeri kits.
Jeep is a brand of American automobiles that is a division of FCA US LLC (formerly Chrysler Group, LLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The former Chrysler Corporation acquired the Jeep brand, along with the remaining assets of its owner American Motors, in 1987. Jeep's current product range consists solely of sport utility vehicles and off-road vehicles, but has also included pickup trucks in the past.
The original Jeep was the prototype Bantam BRC. Willys MB Jeeps went into production in 1941 specifically for the military, arguably making them the oldest four-wheel drive mass-production vehicles now known as SUVs. The Jeep became the primary light 4-wheel-drive vehicle of the United States Army and the Allies during World War II, as well as the postwar period. The term became common worldwide in the wake of the war.
The spartan, cramped, and unstintingly functional jeep became the ubiquitous World War II four-wheeled personification of Yankee ingenuity and cocky, can-do determination.
The first civilian models were produced in 1945. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover. Many Jeep variants serving similar military and civilian roles have since been designed in other nations.
Italeri is an older prolific model company based in Italy. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. Testors is based in the U.S. and at one time was the importer and distributor of Italeri kits.
THE KIT:
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box that has a slide-out tray. I am no fan of this type of box because invariably parts, and particularly the decal sheet would find their way past the end flaps to become lost in the shag rug where the plastic-eating monster lives. However, Testors has cured this problem with their slide out trays they put in their kits.
The box art is a color photo of the Jeep posed on top of a modeler's work bench.
The Jeep is in overall olive-drab with a white serial number 125539 on the sides of the hood, followed by a white 4508 over three white bars. A black plate is on the front bumper with a white HELL on it.
The bottom of the box has 6 walk-around type color photos of the Jeep made up in the box art scheme. The building of this model is credeted to Steve Trompeter.
Model features are: This exact 1/35th scale model of the Jeep ambulance consists of 79 highly-detailed injection-molded plastic parts. Special features include a hinged windshield and 3 stretchers. Authentic decals and easy to follow instruction manual also are included.
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A., PARTS MADE IN ITALY. Copyright date is 1983 and Testors street address in Rockford, IL, U.S.A is provided.
One side panel has a one-paragraph history of the Jeep ambulance, followed by a color side profile of the Jeep.
The other side panel has a list of items needed to complete the kit, followed by the side profile again.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box that has a slide-out tray. I am no fan of this type of box because invariably parts, and particularly the decal sheet would find their way past the end flaps to become lost in the shag rug where the plastic-eating monster lives. However, Testors has cured this problem with their slide out trays they put in their kits.
The box art is a color photo of the Jeep posed on top of a modeler's work bench.
The Jeep is in overall olive-drab with a white serial number 125539 on the sides of the hood, followed by a white 4508 over three white bars. A black plate is on the front bumper with a white HELL on it.
The bottom of the box has 6 walk-around type color photos of the Jeep made up in the box art scheme. The building of this model is credeted to Steve Trompeter.
Model features are: This exact 1/35th scale model of the Jeep ambulance consists of 79 highly-detailed injection-molded plastic parts. Special features include a hinged windshield and 3 stretchers. Authentic decals and easy to follow instruction manual also are included.
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A., PARTS MADE IN ITALY. Copyright date is 1983 and Testors street address in Rockford, IL, U.S.A is provided.
One side panel has a one-paragraph history of the Jeep ambulance, followed by a color side profile of the Jeep.
The other side panel has a list of items needed to complete the kit, followed by the side profile again.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The slide-out tray in the box holds 2 olive-drab trees of parts and a clear parts tree in a sealed cello bag. The decal sheet and instructions complete the kit's contents.
The instructions consist of an unbound booklet of 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format, folded in half to fit the box.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with the history of the Jeep ambulance, followed by BEFORE STARTING, PREPARATION OF PARTS and PAINTING instructions.
Page 2 has the parts trees illustrations. Trees are labeled with geomentic symbols instead of the usual alphabetizing used in most model kits.
Page 3 through 6 give a grand total of 8 assembly steps.
Page 7 has two 4-views for painting and marking schemes.
Both schemes are in overall olive-drab.
The first scheme has a red cross on a white circle on top of the hood. It has a white U.S.A. above a white 73499 on the hood sides and a white AB506 on the left side of the front and rear bumpers and a white C4 on the right sides of the bumpers. A small white star is on the rear wall.
The other scheme is the box art one (already discribed above).
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The slide-out tray in the box holds 2 olive-drab trees of parts and a clear parts tree in a sealed cello bag. The decal sheet and instructions complete the kit's contents.
The instructions consist of an unbound booklet of 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format, folded in half to fit the box.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with the history of the Jeep ambulance, followed by BEFORE STARTING, PREPARATION OF PARTS and PAINTING instructions.
Page 2 has the parts trees illustrations. Trees are labeled with geomentic symbols instead of the usual alphabetizing used in most model kits.
Page 3 through 6 give a grand total of 8 assembly steps.
Page 7 has two 4-views for painting and marking schemes.
Both schemes are in overall olive-drab.
The first scheme has a red cross on a white circle on top of the hood. It has a white U.S.A. above a white 73499 on the hood sides and a white AB506 on the left side of the front and rear bumpers and a white C4 on the right sides of the bumpers. A small white star is on the rear wall.
The other scheme is the box art one (already discribed above).
The 1st olive-drab parts tree is labeled with a star. It holds: the frame, floor, side panels, windshield frame, engine parts, muffler, grill, axles and drive chain, shocks, seat, hood, steering wheel etc. (29 parts)
The 2nd olive-drab parts tree is labeled with a circle. It holds: wheels, tools, jerry cans, stretchers etc. (50 parts) Five parts are marked as being excess in the parts illustrations and not needed to complete the model.
The clear parts tree holds the windshield pane and headlight lenses (4 parts) One part is excess.
There are no crew figures or any casualty figures in the kit. I think there should have been. This model sorely needs them!!
This kit was courtesy of my wallet back in the 70's.
This kit was courtesy of my wallet back in the 70's.