This resin kit is by well-known Italian manufacturer 'Il Principe Nero'. No, I'd never heard of them either until I was surfing 'www.tracksandtroops.com', an online store dedicated to 1/72 armour modelling. Il Principe Nero's range is small but their subject matter is unique, and since I'm interested in WW1 armour I ordered the kit.

A couple of weeks later it arrived, well-packed in a small white box with a set of photo-copied instructions. There are literally 10 parts in this kit, the largest being the main body. It's tiny, too - the completed model measures only 4.25" long. The casting is beautiful, with only one minor air bubble needing to be addressed, and of course all parts benefited from the usual soap-and-water scrub. I was a little disappointed by the wheels which are a bit dodgy and don't look exactly round to me, but once weathered up it's not so noticeable.

Assembly of the 10 parts was, err, quick. Not much alignment to worry about other than ensuring all 4 wheels touch the ground and that they're vertical. To add a bit of interest I turned the front wheels at a slight angle. On to the paint shop.

The armoured car is overall green which I airbrushed, then painted the tires a lighter grey to replicate the artificial rubber used on early vehicles. I then coated the model with Future to form a base for the weathering. The instructions in the kit show some variations of the markings around the turret, but there are no decals supplied so I assume you're expected to mask and paint them. I made a decal on the ALPS and applied it around the turret (Someone noted that the turret pattern looks like kitchen tiles from the 60's). I then commenced with the weathering stage which consisted of a couple of filters/washes using diluted oil paints. Once dry I painted various scuffs, scratches and chips with a fine brush, then lightly airbrushed the lower body and wheels with a light earth colour. Finally a coat of Polly-Scale flat brought everything together.

Despite (joking) accusations of having entered a Hot Wheels car by certain RMMC members, the model did pick up a gold metal at the recent 2006 Alberta AFV Modeller Show.

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