After the LRDG raided Kufra in 1941 the Italians set in motion a plan for dealing with allied incursions behind their lines, calling on their "colonial" experience of 30 years in Libya they formed a specialist group of desert veterans to hunt down the British raiders. They had extensively detailed maps and training in desert navigation. In 1941 a special vehicle designed for this task was requested. It was required to be fast, well armed and able to operate over long distances. Viberti of Turin (a division of SPA, of the FIAT motor group) produced the Sahariana AS-42 from this brief and the first vehicles were delivered in late 1942 and went into action from November 29.
This one is of Regio Esercito, Raggruppamento Sahariano, Tunisia, early 1943, and is manned by Wee Friends WWII Axis Sahariana Crew with Alternative Heads (WFM76003).