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The basic layout & design was the same but whereas the AB41 boasted a smaller turret the AB43’s was roomier & boasted either a 20mm or 47mm anti-tank gun.
The armoured car had two driving positions so the vehicle could get away from trouble quickly. Other features included: four-wheel drive & steering, all-riveted construction & two machine guns – one firing forward coaxially & another firing rearwards. Both were 8mm Breda 38 machine guns.
In many respects, the AB41 & AB43 were modern in their design & conception, boasting good crew space, an impressive top speed of about 45mph & good cross-country ability – including using the spare wheels as freewheeling aids to mobility. They allowed the car to get over obstacles or broken ground more easily.
The downsides were: the complexity of the four-wheel steering system, the lack of a firewall between the engine compartment & the crew zones & the one-man turret.
When Italeri came out with the AB41 & AB43 kits, we were pretty excited. While the AB41 was used widely by the Italians in North Africa, amongst other theatres, the AB43 fell victim to the armistice in 1943. The Germans then took over stocks of both vehicles & used them in their own ranks.
It was the exciting “amoeba” style camouflage of the German-used AB43 that caught our eye. The kit built up well out of the box allowing us to tackle the painting using Tamiya acrylics. The tip for pulling off this type of camo is to use thin paint in multiple passes building up the patches of red & green. You can then go over any errors or reinforce the outlines using the base mix of yellow. We’ll be doing another tutorial soon to showcase this technique.
In the meantime – enjoy.
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