This is a scale model replica of the M3A1 Scout Car. It promises to be a great stand-alone model or make for an essential diorama piece in a bigger modeling project. Around 21,000 of the actual car were built, a vital cog in the setup of U.S. forces and those Allies (Britain, Soviet Union, Free France, China and more) who received it under _x009c_lend-lease. _x009d_ Lightly protected with mainly 6.4mm armor, with a top road speed of 80km/h, it had one 12.7mm and two 7.62mm machine guns, could seat six in addition to a driver and commander, and was often deployed in recon and command car roles, in North Africa, Sicily, and on the Eastern Front.
1/35 scale plastic model assembly kit. Length: 161mm.
Multi-piece depictions of front un-ditching roller, and crew area machine guns (M2 x1 and M1919 x1).
Interior features separate parts for shift, transfer case and parking brake levers, plus a detailed dash.
Armor side door and windshield covers can be depicted deployed or not.
Louvers on front engine grille can be assembled as open or closed.
Detailed underside with depictions of leaf spring suspension, prop shaft, differentials, leaf springs and exhaust.
Comes with one U.S. (invasion of Sicily) and two Soviet marking options.
Includes 5 figures in Red Army Winter attire: helmeted driver in tanker overalls; pistol-wielding commander with choice of ushanka or regulation headgear; two gunners and one seated soldier.
Marking Options: Red Army 3rd Guards Tank Army, Eastern Germany, April 1945. Red Army, Unit unknown, Prague, Spring 1945. U.S. Army 8th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, Sicily, 1943
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The story behind your model New guide preview
M3A1: reconnaissance on wheels
The M3A1 Scout Car reflects the U.S. Army's move from horse cavalry toward mechanized reconnaissance. Built by the White Motor Company, it developed an earlier series of four-wheel-drive scout cars into a roomier armored vehicle that could carry a small team. Its most recognizable features were the open crew compartment, armored windshield cover and broad roller ahead of the front bumper, intended to help the vehicle negotiate obstacles. Production began in 1939 and continued into 1944.
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The M3A1 combined an automotive-style driving position with machine guns mounted on a rail around the rear compartment. Their mounts could move along that rail, allowing the crew to cover different directions without a conventional turret. It offered useful road mobility and some protection, but its open roof and limited cross-country ability exposed the compromises of a comparatively light wheeled vehicle. American units used it in the Philippines, North Africa and Sicily before newer vehicles increasingly took over frontline reconnaissance duties.
Lend-Lease gave the scout car a much wider wartime life. Thousands went to Britain and the Soviet Union, and other Allied forces also used it. This kit reflects that international service with two Red Army vehicles from the closing European campaigns and the U.S. vehicle Buster Crabbe in Sicily. The Soviet choices retain an Olive Drab finish in Tamiya's instructions, while the American option adds a light sand disruptive pattern over the same base.
Sources and accuracy
Tamiya 35363 instruction manual; Tucson Military Vehicle Museum: White M3A1 Scout Car; Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum: White M3A1 Scout Car
Kit Instruction Colors
View kit instructions (PDF)
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These are the kit manufacturer’s paint recommendations. Follow the exact instruction diagrams for placement, marking choices and mixes. They are separate from the historical palettes below.
Build This Model
These 25 colors appear in the official Tamiya kit color list. LP-28 Olive Drab starts selected for the vehicle; TS-5 is currently unavailable. Select the marking and paint family you plan to use, then follow the kit instructions for placement and mixes.
Paints (25)
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Tools and supplies (9)
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Paints and supplies sold separately. Prices and availability update from each product.
Historical Paint Schemes
Choose a documented aircraft or vehicle finish, then a paint system. These researched alternatives are separate from the instruction list above.
Each pack is its own shopping list. Choose one paint system; selections stay separate. Out-of-stock items remain visible but cannot be added. There is no bundle discount.
Exterior scheme colors only. Check the diagrams for pattern and placement. Interior, crew, small details and decals are not included unless a pack explicitly says so. Model paints are manufacturer-intended reproductions or labeled approximations, not independently measured exact historical matches.
Sources and accuracy
Tools for this build
Practical suggestions for assembling and finishing this kit. Buy only what you need; nothing here is added automatically.
Build basics
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Useful extras · optional
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Choose glue for the material and thinner for the paint range. A shared base type alone does not guarantee different brands can be mixed together.
Armor kit information
- Scale
- 1/35
- Armor Family
- M3 Scout Car
- Armor Type
- Scout Car
- Operator
- Soviet Army
- Operator
- United States Army
- Era
- World War II
- Included Figures
- 5 Red Army Figures
1/35 M3A1 Scout Car 35363
Regular price
$52.98