 TAMIYA 1/35th U.S. M-20 ARMORED UTILITY CAR
KIT NO. MM-234
MSRP $32.00 Click on thumbnails for full image HISTORY During 1942, the Mechanized Cavalry Unit got production requests for a high-speed, all-purpose, armored vehicle using the M-8 light armored car as a basis. Ford Motor Co. answered this request and developed the M-20 armored utility car in April of 1943. The M-20 put out 110hp at 3000rpm using a Hercules JXD liquid-cooled, gasoline engine. The transmission had four forward gears and one reverse. Although the six wheel drive suspension and the steel plated body were derived from the M-8, the revolving turret was deleted. This made space for larger, lightly armoured fighting compartment. Inside the vehicle was a folding map table in the front, passenger seats on both sides, a gunners seat on the center rear, and radio sets stored in the sponsons. The main armament on the M-20 was a .50cal M.G. on a ring mount, set on top of the fighting compartment. A 60mm Bazooka, it's rounds, and M-1 carbines were stored inside the vehicle also. The vehicle was highly maneuverable and was used as a command car and cargo vehicle. The M-20 soldiered on after WWII for several years with the U.S. and her allies. THE KIT The kit consists of six trees of high quality olive drab styrene with no flash evident at all. These parts trees are internally packaged in four seperate cello bags to prevent scratching together to a great degree. I applaud Tamiya for this. Total parts number 199. Also included is a length of string for the cable. Eight polycaps are included to hold the wheels onto the axles. A new driver figure is included with the standing figure looking through binoculars that is common to this kit and Tamiya's earlier release of the M-8. The instruction sheet is a 10 page gatefold affair in several languages, including English. There are 17 assembly steps. One and one half pages are devoted to painting and marking instructions. Parts tree "F" is the only parts tree not common to this new kit and Tamiya's earlier M-8. It is the ring mounted M.G. parts and some other odds and ends.
DECALS The well printed and in register decals are for three different schemes. -
U.S. 2nd Armoured Div., 82nd Armoured Recon. Battalion, C Company, 1st Platoon (France-August 1944). This marking is the subject of the box art. -
U.S. 807th Tank Destroyer Battalion, B Company,1st Platoon (Germany-1945) This scheme is shown in color on the boxes side panel. -
Free French Army 5th Armoured Div.,2nd Dragoon Regiment, commander's vehicle (France-August 1944) I want to thank HobbyLink Japan for this review sample. I also recomend the Squadron in Action book no. 37 "U.S. Armoured Cars in Action" for references on both the M-8 and the M-20. |             
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