Cut price "Yesteryear" softskins

Ford/Gaz vans with Artizan figure.

After deciding that I would create a 28mm Kampfgruppe in addition to my 20mm project, I started looking around for trucks that would work alongside my figures.  

There is a good selection available in a variety of scales but most are quite pricey.  I suspect I am not alone in preferring to spend my limited funds on something a little more exciting than dull, yet essential, trucks.  

Providence threw me a line.  I saw my son, Fritz, playing with a bright yellow vintage truck and thought this looked to be of approximately the right size to use with 28s.  After a bit of research I discovered his decidedly "Soviet" looking truck was in fact a "Model A" Ford.  These were manufactured in the USSR during the early/mid 1930s as the "Gaz A".

Gaz "AA" Trucks.

Rather than steal the young fella's toy I had a snoop around a local "car boot" sale this morning and found a chap selling boxed Matchbox "Models of Yesteryear" for the princely sum of £1.00 each.  I found two Model A vans and whilst not ideal (I would have preferred flatbeds) they are good enough for me.

With a minimal amount of work (largely a re-spray) these will be passable as ex-Red Army vehicles pressed into Heer service.  I am sure purists will tell me that the Soviets didn't produce vans or that the wheel-spoke count is wrong - no matter!  Considering the price is similar to a couple of cans of soda, I don't think I could ask for a better deal!