You have already been treated to this version of the
AEC Matador in the same livery in 1:76 scale. Now for small scale
modellers, this WWII vehicle carries all the same detail of its
counterpart, being a replica of the vehicle operated by the British and
Commonwealth forces in France during WWII, where it was used mainly for
towing medium sized guns. The Matador was a typical AEC vehicle of the
period, with flat fronted cab to accommodate the crew of one, a curved
roof and a canvas backed rear load area. It was a 4 x 4 vehicle with
an AEC 7.6 litre engine and a speed of around 30 mph.
Oxford's model, as used by the British Army Royal Artillery, is decorated
in drab olive with a grey canvas back and features the name ‘Gazala'
above the split windscreen. The Battle of Gazala, named after a small
town about 40 miles from Tobruk in Libya, was an important WWII battle
in the Western Desert Campaign, which took place in the middle of 1942.
After WWII, the Matador continued in a useful role as a recovery
truck and general-purpose contractor vehicle. As a 4 x 4, its
versatility saw it also used for off-road jobs and even saw service as a
showmans vehicle. Some variants are already in our 1:76 scale ranges.