1942 Ambulance WC-54

The WC-54 ambulance, the 1942 model year, a COBI brick kit

A brick kit of the American ambulance car. It is not a plastic model from sprues but a kit from plastic bricks, which join by snapping together. You need neither glue, paints nor tools, and pictorial instructions lead the build. Given the closed box body, it is a fairly bulky and stable model, which looks good even on its own on a shelf.

The real subject

The WC-54 was an American ambulance car built on the three-quarter-ton chassis of the military line of light trucks. It differed from the cargo and command configurations of the same line in a tall closed box body with room for stretcher cases and for medical personnel. The car had a hooded front end, a simple structure and was powered by an inline six-cylinder engine. It was used in great numbers and became one of the most widespread medical vehicles of its day.

Building tips

Proceed according to the order in the instructions; with a tall body it is important that the lower layers are pressed fully home, otherwise the walls above will lean out. Sort the small bricks beforehand. For taking it apart use a flat tool for separating bricks. Display the finished model out of direct sunlight and remove dust with a soft brush. If you collect several vehicles of the same manufacturer, it pays to unify a base for them, as the models then come across as a single group.

Who the model is for

• collectors of military hardware who do not want to glue and paint
• builders looking for a model for one evening
• anyone interested in medical and rear-area hardware
• those putting together a larger brick group of vehicles

The model is supplied unassembled, as a kit from plastic bricks. Glue, paints and tools are not needed and are not included in the package.