Retrokits 1/72 Knox 35 4 x 2 7ton Tractor

Some of the first enclosed versions of Belgian armoured cars were built by about October 1914, including the turreted S.A.V.A.

This step was said to have been brought about by public opinion in Belgium after the distinguished crew of an open top armoured car, headed by Prince Baudouin de Ligne, had all been killed during a raiding expedition to destroy a bridge behind the German lines. The improvement of enclosing the car and adding a turret was, in any event, a logical one and the same line of development was followed also in the British and French armoured cars of the same period.

The chassis was provided by the Societe Anversoise pour Fabrication de Voitures Automobiles (S.A.V.A.) of Antwerp - a firm which was founded in 1910 and was bought up by Minerva in 1923. It was a powerful sporting vehicle, suited to carry the weight of the armour which was constructed by the Cockerill firm of Seraing, near Liege.

The engine as well as the crew compartment was fully enclosed. The frontal protection was enhanced by the armour in front of the driver being a curved plate, sloping up from the engine bonnet to merge with the roofline. The turret ring followed the curve of the rear of the hull and the turret itself was dome-shaped and open at the rear. It was equipped with one Hotchkiss air-cooled machine-gun.

Small side doors in the hull beneath the turret were provided to give access to the illterior of the car. The equipment included a large spotlight on the left-hand side of the bonnet in addition to the usual head-lamps. There was also an enclosed version of the Minerva with a half-dome turret and armoured in a generally similar way to the S.A.V.A. Production ceased in October 1914, when the Factory was overrun by the advancing German Army.
 

The kit comes packed in that white cardboard box that is part of the brand of Retrokits, with the parts protected by zip-locked bags and bubble plastic. The kit is done in their usual easy worked, pretty hard, grey resin, plus a PE sheet (for the wheel spokes and some tie-downs) and consists totally of no less than some 70+ parts! (Many of which are very small.) BTW: the Hotchkiss MG is superb!

The moulding of Retrokits usual class, that is execellent, with almost no moulding flash, and minimal pour stubs. The detailing is sharp, crisp and well done.

Most of the different hatches can be set in an open position.

That PE sheet is an excellent idea, as the bicycle-type spokes that were used on many early cars is practically impossible to reproduce in any other manner. Many times we have seen them done in a simplified way, and have been obliged to grin and bear it, but this is a pretty ingenious solution, that I have never seen used before in this scale, except in Modelkraks Lanchester AC. Another testimony to the quality of this kit, is that it also comes with a small PE sheet for the tie-downs used for the spare wheels!

The kit comes with a sufficient plan - see to the left here - that includes historical notes.

A first with this one is that it INCLUDES DECALS. It is almost never done in resin kits in this scale, so you don't expect it. The thing is, the markings required for this vehicle are not complex, just some lettering saying "SAVA", but it can still give you quite a headache.

But not here. The sheet is small, but contains just what you need to finish the SAVA.

Regarding the painting of this model: I have still to see any notes regarding the colours used on this armoured car, and I seriously doubt if anyone will. (There were probably not too much time for people to make proper notes regarding hues used, when the German Army was just around the corner.) But all photos of the SAVA (and I've seen only three) show some kind of LIGHT colour, like light grey or - perhaps sand yellow. (BT Whites classic "Tanks and other armoured vehicles 1900-1918" show a SAVA done in just sand yellow.)

This excellent kit can be bought from Tracks & Troops in the Czech Republic or directly from Retrokits themselves.

This is probably the best kit of a WW1 Armoured Car that I have seen. Super! Retrokits Dominique Jadoul is proving that she is one of the best braille scale master builders around. This is a six star kit!