Last year, I did post some threads to the forum as a "guest" but finally I have an account
I'd like to ask about the chassis of two armoured cars: french charron and hotchkiss automitrailleuse. Were these two vehicles built on existing commercial chassises or were genuinely designed ?
I did some research some time ago on French “Automitraileuse" Armored Cars, from my understanding, the CGV Charron prototype 1902 was designed on a standard commercial vehicle. The design of this vehicle started in 1901, and was accepted by the French Military in 1902. Later a new design was put forth by a Russian officer, M.A. Nakasjidze. Who designed the armored version of the Charron Automitraileuse. This was a new design built on the basis of the commercial vehicle, they used parts, but they built this vehicle from the ground up, to support the extra weight of the armor. So accentually this was a purpose built chassis.
As far as the Hotchkiss Automitraileuse is concerned, it was a direct copy by the Hotchkiss firm of the Charron prototype 1902, it was designed and built on a commercial Hotchkiss chassis.
My question was for my modeling fantasies I'm quite surprised to learn that 12 hotchkiss automitrailleuse were ordered by Sultan Abdulhamid II and by a swing of fortune, were used in toppling him down ! Their quantity also makes them (in my view) quite "numerous" considering the year. So I perceived them as very important weapons, both in the field of technological and political history
I'll look for large scale models (1/16 or 1/24) of those hotchkiss cars. The conversion seems simple considering that the armored compartment is just a box of metal.
As for charron, it seems I'm luckless A scratchbuilding project for a crude model (most probably a rescaling of JMGT 1/35 resin kit) shall be the best I can hope for. (and it's for a far future)