UPDATE: John pointed out that the early GAZ was modeled after the first Bantam. This may well be a restored early GAZ.
Roberto forwarded a link to a celebration in Vietnam that included jeeps. I was checking out the CJ-3Bs and M-606s when I spotted a jeep that looked curiously like a copy of the original Bantam BRC. It’s doesn’t seem to be a perfect copy, but still looks pretty neat. I’ve blown up the pics, so they are a little blurry.
Original post: http://www.tienphong.vn/nhip-song-thu-do/chu-re-lai-xe-jeep-dua-co-dau-dao-pho-ha-noi-947495.tpo
Original Bantam BRC from a similar angle.
Early GAZ
The ‘Bantam’ in this photo looks like an early Russian style ‘Jeep’ that has had a makeover.
The Vietnamese … north or south … are a very clever and industrious people.
I was a ‘Junk Force’ adviser on the Ham Luong River in 1968 … I got to know them well.
I’d love to see MD Juan offer a kit like this, or at the very least a reproduction MA
Might be real. The Russians got Bantams on the Lend Lease in WWII. Might have filtered down to North Vietnam as Russian surplus Looks well kept
here’s a web site with photos detailing the SOVIET use and design of JEEPS
http://wwiijeepparts.com/Archives/WW2RussianGAZJeep.html
By the way here’s the video from last December
Published on Dec 20, 2015
Nearly 20 jeeps decorated tandem in Hanoi attracted the attention of pedestrians.
14/12 afternoon, a procession strawberry Jeep convoy runs through many streets in Hanoi buzz in the community . Leading the GAZ-69 is a striking yellow neck. Strawberry was the Willys car M606 CJ3B the rare military in Vietnam by the groom drive.
https://youtu.be/cfB5DIK2idY
I saw a number of M151’s last year . The following is 4 years ago from Sai Gon to Tra Vinh, SSW at the mouths of the Mekong.
https://youtu.be/ONQO5HEp9-s
It could be a GAZ R-1 (or copy thereof), but to me the front fender looks like it hugs the wheel more like the BRC than the GAZ. The passenger side also looks like it has the dip near the top similar to the BRC, which the first GAZ didn’t have. Could be an early GAZ that’s been modified slightly.