Scale Auto – October 2019

http://www.ScaleAutoMag.com 31

he Camel Trophy race

series was held from 1980

to 2000 with the series

getting its iconic name

from the Camel cigarette brand.

The race originally featured three

Jeep-equipped German teams

who explored the Amazon basin.

After the first event, organizers

approached Land Rover to

support the series, which it did

for 20 years.

The Camel Trophy used Land Rover

models exclusively for its race vehicles, but

other makes appeared in support roles.

They all wore “sandglow” and were

modified to cope with rough terrain.

With the Italeri Ford Transit Mk2 in my

stash, I got to thinking: What if it had been

used as a support vehicle in the Camel

Trophy Race? Ford owned Land Rover at

one point, and the Transit was built in the

UK where Land Rover was assembled.

The small but powerful diesel engine

would have had enough power, with the

proper gearing, to get the Transit through

the rough terrain, yet be easy on fuel

economy. And it could provide shelter and

carry any gear that Team UK might have

needed when the going got tough.

Transform

an average

cargo van

into a

memorable

“What if?”

by Tom Valenta

Tom Valenta

juices a 1/24

scale Italeri

Ford Transit

van to make a

one-of-a-kind

Camel Trophy

support

vehicle.

SCALE AUTO TAILGATE SPECIAL

MUDDER

ONE TOUGH