British Cold War

Armoured Cars

FV601 Saladin

FV 70x Ferret

FV721 Fox

Alvis FV 601 Saladin The Alvis Saladin was part of the successful FV60x series of vehicles, that included the Saracen APC and Stalwart amphibious load carrier.  Based on a common 6 wheeled chassis and powered by Roll Royce petrol engines, they entered British Army service from 1958 onward.  Armed with a relatively powerful 76mm main gun, the Saladin carried a crew of 3.  Light, maneouverable and fast with a 250 mile range, it remained in production until 1972 and continued to serve with the British Army  until the mid 1970s.  In British service, Saladins saw combat in Cyprus and were used in Northern Ireland. This is JB Models 1/76 kit (also issued by Airfix) - When built, it looks much nicer than JB’s Saracen, although they do share some sprues parts.

Daimler FV703 Ferret Mk.2/6

The Daimler Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 as a replacement for the Daimler Dingo scout car of WW2. Over 4,400 were built for the British Army and 23 other countries - although no longer in UK service, many remain active around the world. Ferrets saw service with the British Army from the 1950s right up until Gulf War 1 in 1991.  The Mk.2/6 was modified from the standard Mk.2 to carry two Vickers Vigilant wire guided anti tank missiles on its turret (plus two reloads in place of the spare wheel). Roughly equivalent to the infamous Soviet 9K11 Malyutka (NATO Codename: Sagger AT-3) missile, the Vigilant was developed to provide an effective counter to the Warsaw Pact's numerical tank superiority. This is the 1/76 B.W. Models white metal kit (more recently available in resin from Matador Models).

Daimler FV711 Large Wheeled Ferret Mk.4

The Mk.4 Ferret was upgraded with improved armour, larger wheels and improved transmission, plus a permanent flotation screen that could be raised to allow river crossings. This is a Matador Models resin kit with the plain upper deck and turret.

Daimler FV712 Ferret Mk.5 with Swingfire

The Mk.5 Ferret added a large new wide aluminium turret that was able to carry 4 containerised Fairey Swingfire anti-tank missiles. These were a significant improvement on the Vigilant.  As their name implies, they were able to swing around rapidly toward their target after being launched off-boresight from behind cover. This is a Matador Models resin kit with the Swingfire turret.

Daimler/RO Leed  FV721 Fox CVR(W)

The Fox was developed to replace the Saladin and the Ferret in the scout and reconnaissance role and served with armoured formations from 1975 to 1994. Armed with a modern Rarden 30mm canon and using aluminium armour, it was less than half the weight of the Saladin, allowing for easier air transportation and limited river swimming capability when fitted with a flotation screen. Powered by the same Jaguar 4.2L petrol engine as the Scorpion and Scimitar (its CVR(T) tracked equivalents) the Fox was very fast, with a top speed of around 65mph and a 270 mile range, although its large turret made it somewhat top heavy, adversely affecting its stability at speed or on steep terrain. Although the Fox saw only limited exports, to Malawi and Nigeria, its turret design was also used on the Sabre (converted FV701 Scorpion) and some were added to FV432 APCs for use by the Berlin Brigade.  Some were also fitted to Australian M113 APCs. This is another Matador Models resin kit Return to Armoured Cars page Return to British Cold War page Return to Dark Side AFVs index page Return to Gengriz Modelling Index Page