1:35 Willys MB Jeep with Trailer

Willys MB Jeep with a trailer in 1:35 - Italeri

A plastic kit of the legendary Willys MB in 1:35 scale from Italeri. The package contains the jeep itself, a towed cargo trailer, decals and three figures - the trailer and the crew are a welcome bonus that turns one small vehicle into a complete scene. To be fair: the mold is an old one, its roots go back to the 1970s and the model has been reissued ever since. That means a simpler breakdown, less fine detail and noticeably fewer parts than today's top kits have. On the other hand, that is exactly what makes the model a quick and friendly build.

The real subject

The Willys MB is a symbol of the American army of the Second World War. The small light 4x4 off-road vehicle appeared at the turn of the 1930s and 1940s and hundreds of thousands were built (besides Willys it was also built under license by Ford). It carried commanders, couriers and the wounded, towed light anti-tank guns and exactly the kind of trailer that is part of the package, and it appeared on every battlefield from Normandy to the Pacific. After the war it became a civilian byword and its shape still defines the idea of an off-road car. That is exactly why it suits any diorama of the 1940s - it is a vehicle that simply belongs there.

Building and painting tips

The jeep has no tracks and no complicated running gear, so it is an ideal first armor kit. You can manage the build over a weekend and have time left for what matters: the surface. Spray the base in olive green, then lighten it on the horizontal surfaces so that the model does not look like a plastic block, and add a dark wash in the engraved lines. The main discipline is weathering: mud on the fenders and the tires, dust in the folds of the canvas, chipped paint on the edges of the hood and oily streaks around the engine. Paint the seats and the steering wheel before you close up the body. Because the mold is older, go over the mold seams: expect filling and sanding, mainly on the fenders and the bumper. Three figures, a trailer and a little cargo (crates, jerrycans, a tarpaulin) then turn one small vehicle into a full scene.

Who the model is for

• Beginners - a small, simple model, an ideal first military vehicle.
• Diorama builders: the jeep, the trailer and three figures are a ready-made basis for a scene.
• Collectors of Second World War and Allied army vehicles.
• Modelers who want to practice weathering - mud, dust, chipped paint.
• Those looking for a quick build between two big projects.

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.