In the competition to build what would become known as the jeep, Bantam was the early leader - and its BRC 40 1/4-ton 4 x 4 truck was the first to look like the jeep of World War II fame.
MiniArt's Bantam is a great addition to the 1/35 scale family of jeeps. The gray styrene molding is well detailed, in spite of the flash on most parts. Three sprues hold the 100 pieces of the vehicle, and a fourth holds five scale figures.
The two-page instructions include a parts breakdown as well as an excellent color painting guide. A helpful color reference chart specifies six brands of paint. While the instructions get a little busy and can be hard to follow, modelers with a few builds behind them shouldn't have serious problems staying with the program.
The build starts with the motor and the chassis. (Of course, if you plan on leaving the hood of the truck down you can save yourself a little time and leave the motor out.) I didn't run into any problems with the suspension or motor. (Do make sure to clean up the flash on these parts, however.) The reference photos I have seen show the suspension and the chassis were painted olive drab, same as the rest of the vehicle, but I painted mine with gun metal to add contrast.
Building the body of the Bantam was a breeze. Take care with the small parts for the headlights in Step 20. The angle of the steering wheel column (Part A12) is a little off, preventing the driver figure from sitting properly in its seat.
I painted the body with Testors Model Master olive drab, saving the windshield and headlights for afterwards to avoid having to mask them. There are only two decals, and they both attached easily with a little Micro Set.
I weathered my Bantam with oil-paint washes and gave it a light dusting of Tamiya pastels for a little road grime.
My model took about five hours to complete. With five scale figures and the rich history of the vehicle, MiniArt's Bantam 40 BRC presents endless diorama opportunities - or it would look great simply parked next to a Willys jeep on your display shelf. Modelers with a couple of builds under their belt should have no problem turning out a realistic Bantam.
Read more
model kit reviews.