LEVA Productions
Pulitov-Austin armored car
by Stephen
Brezinski
The history of this armored car begins in 1914 with the Tsarist Russian government order of military cars from Britain. The Russian government initially ordered 48 of the Model 1914 (1st. Series Austin) car. This initial series was similar to the version of this model but with thinner armor and machine-gun turrets side by side. In January 1917, St. Petersburg Pulitovski Works produced its own version, based on the Austin chassis but with Russian made thicker armor plate, front and rear driving positions, and diagonally set turrets. . I understand that the official Russian designation was Russki Ostin (Russian Austin).
The Russki Ostin Series never actually saw combat in WW1 though battled in the Civil War and the brief war with Poland where several were captured and also used by the Poles.
In the above photo we can see the 15 tan and green resin parts still on their casting sprues. Overall detail is very good with distinct rivet, leafspring and weapon detail, etc. Above are the simple but effective exploded-view instructions. Clean-up of the small parts was easy-just score with a knife or fine saw and most will easily snap off for clean-up with a sanding stick. Removing the casting block for the body was more of a challenge: lots of hacksaw and wet sanding work.
Above is the assembled but unpainted model. Note that the drivers hatch and the engine radiator door can be modeled open. This is a nice touch and there is a detailed radiator behind the open hatch. In photos I have not seen a spare wheel mounted on the rear though my kit came with a fifth wheel and I thought this would look good. The wheels look good except for a missing edge where the tire meets the wheel rim. In photos I have seen many variations in tires, machine gun shields, driver’s roof, headlights or no lights, and even halftrack variants. One thing I am not sure of with this model is the flat driver’s roof; in photos the armored cars appear to have a curved, humped roof.
Conclusions
Overall I am happy with the kit. Assembly went without difficulty and resin casting is clean and sharp. I purchased my kit directly from LEVA. For a kit list and prices see the website below (I recommend ordering by Fax.) Colors and further history on this vehicle are covered well in Tom Hillman’s article and an excellent article at this website.
