Retrokit's 1/72 Lancia 1Zm Armoured Car

The Lancia was the most important Italian armoured car of the First World War - it was built in some numbers and used against the Austrian and later German forces on the front on the north-east borders of Italy. Some were captured by the Germans and used to equip some armoured car units of their own, and Lancia armoured cars were used to train and equip American troops in Italy.

The basis of these cars was the Lancia 1Z 25/35-h.p. light truck chassis with pneumatic tyres, dual at the rear. The construction of the armoured cars was undertaken by the Ansaldo engineering firm, of Turin, and the vehicles were, in fact, sometimes known as Ansaldos or Ansaldo Armoured Cars. 

The layout of the design was fairly conventional, the only really unusual feature being the small turret (with one Saint Etienne water-cooled machine-gun) superimposed on the larger turret equipped with another two Saint Etienne machine-guns of the same type. The ground clearance of the Lancia armoured car was particularly good for a car of the period.

A feature also used in other Italian armoured cars was the rails, incorporating wire cutters at the tip of the rails, to enable the vehicle to pass through wire obstacles stretched across roads. The Lancia armoured car had a roomy hull (of chrome-nickel steel) and this was needed to accommodate the large crew consisting of the car commander, driver, three gunners and a mechanic.

The car weighed about 3950 kg. loaded including 25.000 rounds of ammunition. The engine of about 60 b.h.p. (35 h.p. nominal) gave a maximum speed of 70 km/h and the car had a circuit of action of about 500 km's. It had a crew of 6 men. The length was 5.240m, the width 1.9m, the height 2.89m, and the wheel base 3.570m.

The 1Zm model of the Lancia 1Z armoured car was almost identical in appearance to the first type except that the small turret was eliminated and the third machine-gun was mounted instead in the back of the hull, facing rearwards. Lancia 1Z armoured cars were long in service and some were still in use by the Italian Army in East Africa in the Second World War. They were also used in the Spanish Civil War.
 

The instructions of the kit contains the following info on the Lancia, courtesy of Antonio Tallio and Lorenzo Toniolo:
 

"Introduced in the summer of 1916, the first Italian armoured car, the Lancia 1Z, of which 37 are ordered, is deemed to be a very useful vehicle and its good performances led to an order for an improved model, the Lancia 1Zm. 35 of the later am originally ordered. Both vehicles are very similar as both are built on the strengthened chassis of the Lancia 35 HP truck; however, the hull of the 1Zm has less vision ports than its predecessor, has a re-designed, up-armoured bonnet and front grilles and much simplified front mudguards. Above all, the 1Zm dispenses with the upper turret so characteristic of the 1Z armoured car, in a move to lower the centre of gravity of the vehicle. The armament still consists of 3 machine gain with the third machine gun now located at the rear of the vehicle. The 1Zm is more heavily armed, with 8mm St. Etienne machine guns instead of the earlier 6.5mm Maxims, making up for the slightly inferior quality of the armour plating (due to metal additives shortages å Italy towards the end of the conflict).

110 Lancia 1Zm will be produced, although some not delivered before the end of WW1. Manufactured by Ansaldo of Genoa, they are sometimes referred to as Autoblindamitragliatrice Ansaldo, or ABM Ansaldo. The 1ZM will first see action during the so called Twin civil disturbances of August 1917, but will also be used against Austro-Hungarian forces during the Caporetto defeat and during the second Battle of Piave is June 1918, and subesequently during the Vittorio Veneto offensive in October 1918. Directly after the Armistice, Lancia armoured cars (1Z and 1Zm) will carry out security tasks along the Yugoslavian border. From 1919, 11 vehicles are sent to Libya while 35 others are supplied, from October 1920, to the Italian riot control police, the Regia Guardia (Royal Guard).

Following the rise to power of Mussolini 5 Regia Guardia vehicles will be passed on to the MSVN (Armed Guard of the Fascist Revolution) while 34 others are transferred to the Italian gendarmerie, the famed Carabinieri.  In 1925, 4 Lancias are seat to China to support the Tien Tsin Italian garrison.

The Lancia armoured cars will be slightly modified during their long careers: in 1923, their armament consists of water-cooled 6.5mm Fiat 14 machine Suns (ex-Reggia Aeronautica stocks), but by 1935, some are equipped with the air-cooled model of the same weapon (also ex-Regia Aeronautica stocks). Tyres and wheels will also change in style, in particular for low-pressure 'Artiglio' tires and wheels as seen on the SPA 38 or Dovunque trucks.

In 1929 some Lancia. armoured cars will fight during the Ethiopian campaign, and some will be engaged in Italian Somaliland at least up until WW2. Four vehicles will be supplied to Albania, while others will see action with the Italian forces during the Spanish civil war, and at least one is used by the Germans from 1943 in a SS-Polizei regiment in North-eastern Italy."

The kit:

The kit comes packed in a big, illustrated  box. The kit itself contains some 40 parts, all in a not too-brittle light yellow resin. The moulding is excellent: smooth and sharp. Some of the parts, like the big wire-cutting railings - a detail very typical of the 1Z - are very delicate indeed, and are reproduced without a flaw, almost without moulding flash as well. The pour stubs are small, and easily removed. The kit also comes with a plan - see to the left - and notes on both the history of the vehicle AND notes on camouflage and markings. (The last thing is always welcome, but not always expected on resin kits.)

As far as I can see, the kit is accurate. The dimensions match my references. Also, they have captured the rather complex shape of this vehicle, not least the bonnet and the rear hull.

You get parts so you can build one of three variants: the WW1 armoured car, the variant used by the Italians after the war, and finally the one used by the Germans in WW2. There are no snags when it comes to the WW1: this is the basic configuration of the kit. But in order to build the later variants, you will have to remove the moulded on rear-wheels. And don't think that this will pose any big trouble, but it is an added complication for sure.

You can get this kit directly from Retrokit or from Tracks & Troops.

Another review of this kit can be found here!

As long as you build the WW1 variant - and don't we all? - this will be a simple and quick build that will result in an accurate kit that really looks the part. This is the best Lancia 1Zm I've seen, and is quite superior to Revirescos white metal  kit. Very highly recommended!