For Day 24, a decidedly non racing vehicle has been offered, a Tatra 815 Africabus, a tour bus that in the Dakar was used as a journalist/photographer transport. I have seen these trucks in numerous background pictures of the bivouac and at special locations, but I am not too familiar with the specifics of the truck, I did find out that the nickname of this truck was Dachshund.
The model is on 2 sheets, one with the instructions and some parts, and one with just parts.
From the 1990 Dakar, and for Day 22, we have the Peugeot 405 T16 GR, Grande Raid. #203 was driven by Ari Vatanen, and won 7 stages that year, and the overall classification. The 405 was also used to compete on Pikes Peak, and set records during the 2 years it competed, if you want to see the 405 in action on the mountain, check out Climb Dance, it is 5 minutes of driving artistry.
The model is a one pager, and has both versions you have come to love, easy and complex.
Today's offer for Day 17 is yet another odd looking vehicle, a Mercedes Benz 190 GE, 6x6, designed by Christian de Leotard, who has developed other 6x6 Mercedes vehicles, G-class based conversions, as well as Range Rover and Renault. Christian is proud to proclaim that all of his builds have finished the Dakar they were entered, without the need to replace major parts.
The model is of the 1986 entry, #421, and comes in both versions, complex and the easy build.
Day 15 brings the Citroen BX 4x4 prototype. #250, driven in the 1984 Dakar by Michel Mokrycki, who was also an engineer on the Jules sponsored Rolls Royce from the 1981 Dakar. Unfortunately #250 didn't make the finish in Dakar, the car has a rollover some 12 km(7.5 miles) before that day's stage finish line.
In the case of the model, you can reach the finish by completing one of two versions, easy or complex.
Day 14 begets the Volvo C303 #331, finished in 20th place overall in the 1983 Dakar, and won the Truck category for Trucks under 10 tons. and finished 2nd in the general Truck classification.
Unlike previous Truck models, you actually get 2 versions, easy and complex.
Day 13 brings us a Rover 3500, #149 from the 1983 Dakar. Unfortunately Franco De Paoli, even using the running gear from a Range Rover, failed to reach finish line.
If you score, cut, and glue carefully, you will be able to reach the finish of this Rover, with either of the presented options, easy and complex
Dakar 1988, #519, an all red 4x4 truck appears at the starting line, you spot a familiar logo, a gold bucking bull on a black ground, Lamborghini?!?
What are they doing here?
Well, they are going to race in the Dakar, at least attempt to race the Dakar. Depending on the accounts you read, they either finished 10th, or they dropped out, based on one report stating that despite lightening efforts, the truck was just too heavy, coupled with the monster Pirelli tires that the truck had, the team went through 24 sets of shock absorbers, and due to a lack of parts, abandoned the quest to Lac Rose, I am more apt to believe the fact they ran out of parts, because the Rambo Lambo was, and still is a heavy vehicle, just shy of 6000 pounds.
Fear not, it will only take a single sheet of your favorite paper/card stock to build this offered version of the LM002, in this case, unlike previous small vehicle sheets, the easy and complex versions are their own separate file. Download either one or both, and have fun building.
From the 1990 Dakar for day 11, we have the VAZ/Lada Samara T3. In the 1990 Dakar, the Samara finished in 7th place, and in 1991, piloted by the legendary Jacky Ickx finished in 5th place. The racing version of the Samara didn't share much with its road going cousins, it used a 3.6 liter engine flat six and the running gear of a 959 Porsche.
In the case of the model, you won't have to borrow some bits from Stuttgart's best, a single sheet of paper will do you just fine. both the easy and complex versions are available for you to cut out, fold and glue together.
On the 10th day of Advent, he gave to me, a Renault Saviem SM8, #225, 5th place finisher of the 1980 Dakar.
The SM8, a 4x4 platform medium duty truck produced for about 22 years by Saviem, and Renault.
In this case, you have to do the building, but on the bright side, you have less parts to contend with than with the original, 2 sheets, with instruction diagrams.
On Day 9, we are treated with the FIAT Campagnola off roader, #174, which finished 19th in the 1982 Dakar. The Campagnola was inspired by the Willys Jeep, both in civilian and military version.
As for the model, at 1:100, you also get two versions, easy and complex.
