Dragon 1/35 SAS 1/4 ton 4x4-Patrol Commander's Car

Jeep is a brand of American automobiles that is currently a marque of Chrysler Group LLC, a multinational manufacturer in a global strategic alliance with Fiat.^[ The former Chrysler Corporation acquired the Jeep brand, along with the remaining assets of its owner American Motors, in 1987. Jeep's line of vehicles consists solely of sport utility vehicles and off-road vehicles but has also included pickup trucks in the past.

The first Willys MB Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle (SUV) brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second oldest 4-wheel-drive brand. The original Jeep vehicle that first appeared as the prototype Bantam BRC became the primary light 4-wheel-drive vehicle of the United States Army and Allies during World War II, as well as the postwar period. Many Jeep variants serving similar military and civilian roles have since been created in other nations.

Thanks to a seeming plethora of Jeep kits from the usual armor kit makers, it almost seems like 2013 is starting as the year of the Jeep. Of course, none of these companies call them Jeeps to avoid paying licensing fees, which is fine for most modelers as the Jeep is instantly recognizable as such by the majority of the world.

This is an SAS version which means missing grille slats, additional armament and lots of gasoline and water cans all over it as well as some personal gear as well. The kit comes with two ways of doing wheel/tires. One is the usual with an already molded tire and outer wheel using an insert for the back side of the wheel.The other is where the combo is in slices of five sections that are sandwiched together. Not sure which is 'better', but it does give an option. A nice sized etched fret is also included which contains a pair of ramps to help extricate a stuck jeep from the sand as well as lots of tiedown straps for all the Jerry cans.

The kit has a full body and a complete chassis. The various suspension bits are added to the chassis along with the exhaust. This is not a curbside and you get a complete four cylinder engine along with radiator and additional coolant tank. Seats are nicely done with separate frames on which the canvas seat and back are installed.

As it is an SAS Jeep, you get a plethora of Jerry Cans for water and fuel. You also get no fewer than four Lewis machine guns; two on single mounts and one on a double mount. One thing for sure, the finished model will be well loaded down. A driver and passenger figure are included, both properly garbed for Lawrence of Arabia cosplay.

Instructions are well done with the usual Model Master and Gunze paint references. The decal sheet is for the Jerry cans as these vehicles carried no distinctive unit markings or even serial numbers. There are three painting options, all based on Desert Pink. One has green splotches, one has tan splotches and the other has no splotches.  

Another interesting Jeep kit for the 1/35 builder and if you are building a collection, you can have quite a few different looking vehicles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep

February 2013

Thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the preview kit. You can find this kit at your favorite hobby shop or on-line retailer.