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AUTOart's much awaited 1941 Jeep should not disappoint the collector. It's a well crafted model with significant content. It boasts 452 separate parts in metal, plastic, cloth upholstery, photo-etched metal plates and metal wire, screws and nuts.
Its overall appearance in Army Green (rather than Olive Drab) with exposed wood shafts and metal on the ax and shovel and white lubrication gun is that of a fresh restoration as these jeeps left the factory with everything sprayed base color. It represents the Willys MB spec but was probably built by Ford which designed the 9 slot stamped grill that simplified assembly and saved cost and weight. Willys did build some Jeeps with the Ford grill starting in 1942 but odds are this is a Ford GPW with the "W" designating the Willys license.
The model is outfitted as an armed scout car or light command vehicle with its radio and pylon mounted .30 cal machine gun with a real metal barrel. Above the dash is housed an M1 carbine sans magazine and sling. The radio and antenna are detachable as are the stowed tools, carbine, and the machine gun and mount. The passenger seat lifts forward but the rear seat neither folds down or up against the rear. The windshield is fully articulated and the leaf spring suspension works. The exposed gear and track steering operates flawlessly and the overall level of detail is satisfactory.
The model is fairly expensive by current pricing so I don't feel I'm being too demanding in wishing for a top up option. That said the model displays extraordinarily well next to its older and slightly larger Danbury Mint cousin.
(03/10/2012)
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