Italeri 7087 - 1:72 M8 Greyhound & M20 Armored Utility Car

Plastic model kit of the M8 Greyhound / M20 Armored Utility Car in 1:72 scale

Italeri 7087 is a model kit of the American M8 Greyhound light armoured car and its turretless derivative, the M20 Armored Utility Car. The box contains one model - during the build you choose which of the two vehicles to make.

The kit belongs to the quick-build 1:72 line marked by the manufacturer as Wargames Approved - equally suited to a display shelf, a diorama or the tabletop. The decal sheet covers six marking options from the US Army and the Free French forces.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with hull, turret and chassis parts
• Parts allowing the M8 Greyhound or the M20 Armored Utility Car to be built
• Decal sheet for six marking options (United States, Free France)
• Colour instructions

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 7087
• Manufacturer: Italeri
• Assembled model length: approx. 65 mm
• Contents: one model - build as the M8 or the M20
• Skill level: beginner

Note: Glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. This kit requires assembly.

Building the model:

A kit with a modest parts count and straightforward assembly - a good choice for beginners and for modellers building numbers of vehicles for dioramas or wargames. Decide which version - M8 or M20 - you intend to build before starting, as the choice affects several early stages.

American vehicles of the Second World War were finished in overall Olive Drab; Free French machines wore the same paint with different markings. A wash to bring out the recesses and rivets works well, finished with a matt coat. Dust and mud on the wheels and mudguards can be reproduced with pigments - in small scale this is what really brings a model to life.

Tools you will need:

• Sprue cutters
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Panel wash to bring out detail
• Optional: pigments for dust and mud effects

About the vehicles - M8 Greyhound and M20 Armored Utility Car:

The M8 Greyhound was a light armoured car developed by Ford and produced from 1943. The six-wheeled, all-wheel-drive vehicle weighed just under eight tonnes and could reach nearly 90 km/h on roads - fast, agile and surprisingly well armed for a reconnaissance machine, with a 37 mm gun in a rotating turret and a coaxial machine gun.

The Greyhound was blooded in Italy, at Monte Cassino and Anzio, and from June 1944 accompanied the Allied armoured divisions through Normandy, France and Germany. Its role was reconnaissance - ranging ahead of the main force, locating enemy positions and maintaining contact. Its weakness remained thin armour, particularly on the belly, which left it vulnerable to mines.

The M20 Armored Utility Car was built on the same chassis, with the turret removed and replaced by an open fighting compartment carrying a ring-mounted heavy machine gun. It served as a command, liaison and utility vehicle - often moving in the same columns as the M8, carrying commanders, supplies or reconnaissance teams.

Original vehicle specifications (M8 Greyhound):

• Configuration: six-wheeled, all-wheel drive
• Weight: approx. 7.8 t
• Crew: 4
• Main armament: 37 mm gun in a rotating turret
• Secondary armament: coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, optional 12.7 mm heavy machine gun on the turret
• Powerplant: Hercules petrol engine, approx. 110 hp
• Maximum speed: approx. 89 km/h
• Production: approx. 8,500 vehicles

Original vehicle specifications (M20 Armored Utility Car):

• Chassis: identical to the M8 Greyhound
• Configuration: turretless, open fighting compartment
• Armament: ring-mounted 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
• Roles: command, liaison and utility vehicle

About the manufacturer - Italeri:

Italeri is an Italian model company based in Calderara di Reno near Bologna, founded in the early 1960s by Giuliano Malservisi and Gian Pietro Parmeggiani. Over time it acquired the moulds of Supermodel, Protar and ESCI, greatly expanding its catalogue. Today Italeri offers aircraft, helicopters, military vehicles, ships, trucks, cars and motorcycles. Its 1:72 military vehicle line, marked Wargames Approved, is popular with modellers building dioramas and vehicle collections as well as with tabletop gamers. The company designs and manufactures in Italy.