They certainly looked cool.

That''s one of the ugliest machines the US Army ever had, but it's really nice to see it come out in plastic - and from Tamiya no less!

Looks a beast. Not my thing, but nice to see something different.

haha! I remember seeing those in action back in he 1980s. shame I never got close enough to drive one.

here is the one at the Ft Hood display

Yeah, I probably won't buy one but it's always nice to see something new that's not WW2 German!

Gamera

Yeah, I probably won't buy one but it's always nice to see something new that's not WW2 German!

Well, I wouldn't go that far

Bish

Gamera

Yeah, I probably won't buy one but it's always nice to see something new that's not WW2 German!

Well, I wouldn't go that far

Whoops, sorry! 

Still it is nice to see something different. Somehow I remember a Goat kit from the '60s or so but I think it may have been 'box scale'? 

Edit: A search is turning up a resin kit by Commander Series models. The way Tamiya is pricing stuff now I'm wondering if this kit will but much cheaper than the resin one though. 

Maybe not much cheaper, but it will most definitely assemble like a dream whereas resin kits are often nightmares!

I began my army career in 1982-83 and these were already well on their way out of service by then. I think the last place I saw one was at Fort Bragg, NC during my ROTC advanced camp in 1985. Even then they were only used as field ambulances and were replaced by HMMWV ambulances within a few years.

I'll definitely get one unless it is way too expensive.

I am happy to see this one coming out! Long overdue! One way on another I will pick one up for my 80's collection. I rode in them a couple of times back then. Saw them any time we were out in the field.

Man, I dunno---first there was that weird little French UE thing (or whatever it was called), now there's this obscure, weird "behind the scenes" utility vehicle. Someone need to tell Tamiya that good sales come from marketable, popular subject with diorama possibilities and copious photo documentation in different theatres of war. I've never so much as seen one of these.

Look at the subjects that other modeling companies are coming out with, and I can't help feel that Tamiya's just surrendered the field...

Oh the Goat was in US service for over 20 years... saw action in Vietnam (I beleive), Grenada, Lebanon, and was widely used throughout the late Cold War by the Army and Marines. You can paint it in all sorts of MERDC schemes for service around the globe. It actually will go well with AFV Club's M102 Howitzer as a prime mover for that in 82nd or 101st markings. Plus its other assorted uses. Shelter carrier for RATT Rigs, MEDEVAC, etc. Lots of diorama possibilities with this thing. They even had one in "Stripes" in the Czechoslovakia sequqences of that movie. I look forward to it.

And I liked the Renault US carrier too ;-P

It wasn't obscure; it was the predecessor to the stop gap commercial vehicles (like the 880-series Dodges and 1008-series CUCVs). They were air droppable, amphibious and were designed to go anywhere. They were virtually everywhere in the US Army where you now see a HMMWV.

It was in the iconic Army commercial where the tag line "We do more before 9 AM than most people do all day."

There's a recent release of the GOER series of Army vehicles out now, too, which would make for an excellent companion to a Goat.

And, come to cases, would be good for a Stripes or Red Dawn dio <G>

Oh that classic recruiting commercial.... ;-) Fatigues and Steel Pots...

Yeah, those steel pots.... that's the way I best remember it.

For me, nothing says Made in America any better.

Over 15,250 Gama Goats were built, more than twice the numbers of Tigers and Panthers built and that are so prevalent in kits nowadays.

Rob, Carlos, well, that's the "ignorant civilian" opinion , lol. I never heard of, or knew anything about this vehicle. I would just love to see something more.....imposing? from Tamiya that isn't a redo, repop, or one that has already been covered.

Tamiya's probably doing more of the off-the-wall stuff that the others aren't doing because they know the kits will sell. This is definitely not a repop or redo or something not covered before (besides a pricey resin kit).

Aftermarket manufacturers will have a field day making sets to depict the variations not included with the Tamiya kit. Even the resin company that makes the Goat will probably start remastering their tire molds so they will work with the Tamiya kit, maybe do weighted tires or a flat tire.

the doog

Rob, Carlos, well, that's the "ignorant civilian" opinion , lol. I never heard of, or knew anything about this vehicle. I would just love to see something more.....imposing? from Tamiya that isn't a redo, repop, or one that has already been covered.

In tanks, the most imposing vehicles out there, I think all the mainstream one have been covered, and several have been covered multiple times. Now if they start going at Self Propelled Field Artillery and Air Defence Artillery, there are many gaps in those areas. Or specialized modified equipement such as Combat Engineer Vehicles like the M728 CEV. Wreckers like the M578...  But with Trumpeter running amock finally covering all the Soviet AFVs that were never done in 1/35 plastic before, the options for Tamiya are running thin to  not be doing something already covered. Unless they start tackling the Cold War British stuff, tracked and wheeled. Even the French stuff of that era was covered by Heller. Now there is some late WWII/Korean War era stuff still lacking- M19 GMC, M45 Pershing, M41 HMC, LVT3 Bushmaster. 

Love the commercial....that was my era. As stated the goat was used in many places by the Army but especially the airborne and air assault units. They were fun to drive VERY loud and a nighmare to maintain.

I built the Commanders model version of the goat here.

cs.finescale.com/.../129251.aspx

I am sure the Tamiya version will be an easier build but the Commanders kit is nice for a resin kit

BTW Commanders also make the M520 Goer, nice kit for a VN ammunition carrier!

Rounds Complete!!

Doog: I don't see it as Tamiya surrendering -- frankly I think it's a sign of Tamiya's security.  Think about other recent 1/35 releases.  The Type 10 JSDAF tank, the T-55 Tiran tank, the T-55 Enigma, the IDF M51 and M1 Shermans, the M1A2 SEP Abrams Tusk II.

This tells me that Mr. Tamiya is directing the company to make items that he personally wants to see kitted -- regardless of the marketplace.

I agree with T26E4, I mean just how many German WW2 topics need to be remade over and over again?

I love the 1980s vehicles. Personally I would like to see Tamiya work up a M2A3 with full interior to go with the M1 SEP.

More inspiration for those of you who want to see one in action, albeit a test demonstration:

T26E4

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/niklz1138/TMMI215NewsDesk_zps3c85c7a1.jpg

Wow! Very interesting subject! The vehicles themselves were maintenance nightmares. All were issued with ear protection for the drivers because of the awful amount and frequency of the engine noise. Very good for different camo schemes and markings.

(Please don't let this denigrate into tired old trope "Why didn't Tamiya release X instead")

Interesting. Thanks for the info, Roy.

Gamera

Bish

Gamera

Yeah, I probably won't buy one but it's always nice to see something new that's not WW2 German!

Well, I wouldn't go that far

Whoops, sorry! 

Still it is nice to see something different. Somehow I remember a Goat kit from the '60s or so but I think it may have been 'box scale'? 

Edit: A search is turning up a resin kit by Commander Series models. The way Tamiya is pricing stuff now I'm wondering if this kit will but much cheaper than the resin one though. 

Was just looking through the White Ensign site and came across that resin kit. I know Tamiya prices are on the up, but I think they still have a way to go to match this.

https://www.whiteensignmodels.com/p/Commander+Models+135+M520+Goer+COM1026/19961/#.Ugam5oRwaM8

£160.

I'll definitely get one unless it is way too expensive.

me too. in the late 70's in the BRD we had GAMMA GOATs and GOERs. the GOER was, in 25 words or less, a 4 wheel GAMMA GOAT on mega steriods. the tires were 8' in diameter and you needed the GOER wrecker or a 578 light ARV to change them. the cargo version was so-so but the tanker version was great; 2x the diesel (2500gal) plus a 500gal mogas pod on a trailer and it could go more places than the 5T dual fuel pod trucks.

T26E4

Doog: I don't see it as Tamiya surrendering -- frankly I think it's a sign of Tamiya's security.  Think about other recent 1/35 releases.  The Type 10 JSDAF tank, the T-55 Tiran tank, the T-55 Enigma, the IDF M51 and M1 Shermans, the M1A2 SEP Abrams Tusk II.

This tells me that Mr. Tamiya is directing the company to make items that he personally wants to see kitted -- regardless of the marketplace.

I really wish they'd do some more WWI armor. I"d love to see one of those big St Chamond "boat" tanks or something that has been covered by smaller manufacturers 15 years ago be done really well in 1/35. I wonder when, and who, will do something like that, and if it will be a big seller?

Yes, the GOER was a beast. Even the name sounds imposing!Now that is the one I would love to see Tamiya tackle as well. And the 578. Get all those support vehicles that a late Cold War Mech/Armor Task Force needs to fight a battle done in 1/35 injectio plastic.

Karl, Meng sure seems to be going off the beaten path. If anybody is going to do more WWI tanks, it just might be them.

the doog

T26E4

Doog: I don't see it as Tamiya surrendering -- frankly I think it's a sign of Tamiya's security.  Think about other recent 1/35 releases.  The Type 10 JSDAF tank, the T-55 Tiran tank, the T-55 Enigma, the IDF M51 and M1 Shermans, the M1A2 SEP Abrams Tusk II.

This tells me that Mr. Tamiya is directing the company to make items that he personally wants to see kitted -- regardless of the marketplace.

That's really quite a good point, Roy. I hadn't looked at it that ay before.

I really wish they'd do some more WWI armor. I"d love to see one of those big St Chamond "boat" tanks or something that has been covered by smaller manufacturers 15 years ago be done really well in 1/35. I wonder when, and who, will do something like that, and if it will be a big seller?

Now that I can get behind!!! I was looking though a book I found on Great War armour and gee the French had bridge-layers, tanks modified into APCs, recovery tanks... all stuff which I didn't think existed until WW II. And most of the Great War stuff you can't find even in resin. 

The Goat is looking more and more interesting though, I think it would look really cool sitting next to a M60 now....