1:72 Austin Mk III WWI British Armoured Car

Master Box 1:72 Austin Mk.III: the British armored car (WWI)

A plastic kit of the British Austin armored car in the Mk.III version from the period of the First World War, in 1:72 scale from the Ukrainian maker Master Box. The model captures the typical twin-turret car with machine gun armament. It is an earlier production batch of the Austin type: please tell it apart from the later Mk.IV configuration, which comes as a separate kit.

The real subject

Austin armored cars were among the most widespread British armored vehicles of the First World War. Their hallmark was a pair of machine gun turrets on the hull. The Mk.III configuration represents an earlier production stage of the series; compared with the very latest batch it differed in details of the hull, the driving station and the protection of the crew. Austins saw wide use on the Eastern Front and a number of them went on serving in the fighting of the Russian Civil War, where they became one of the iconic vehicles of their day.

Building and painting tips

Clean and glue the fine parts of the turrets, the wheels and the machine guns with a light touch. Paint the interior and the wheels before you close the hull. For First World War vehicles a matte single-color or period camouflage coat with an airbrush suits well, with the rivets picked out by a dry brush, washes in the recesses and above all pigments for the mud effects of churned-up roads. You can suggest chipped paint on the edges with fine stippling of a darker color.

Who the model is for

• For collectors of First World War armored vehicles in 1:72.
• For lovers of early armored cars.
• For builders of dioramas of the Eastern Front and the Russian Civil War.
• For modelers who want to tell the Mk.III batch apart from the later Mk.IV.

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