Otter reconaissance car, CM 4647296

[Nech]

Cheers everyone!

Quite new on this forum (so HI to everybody!) Just transported home my new project - The Otter recce car - recently bought in Holland. One of the very few survivors. I think the complete restoration will begin in the following year.

And I am looking forward to it, as the vehicle is well preserved (has been dry stored for the last 40 years), so it can be called a true "barn find". The census number has been readable, so it is exciting to have the very original piece of real history.

[rob love]

Very very nice. Truly an iconic piece.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Very nice! Not many of them around.

[Sam Assad]

And I thought barn finds were a fairy tale!!
Congrats

[lssah2025]

I have about 60 pics of your Otter if you want them, I looked at her a few years ago, but had to pass on her due to some circumstances.

[Nech]

Thanks gentleman,

I think I don't need more pictures now. Thank you.

First I started with little colour research and it was a big surprise to me. I was expecting standard camouflage colours, as were seen on the factory and other WWII pictures, as is displayed on the first Otter picture I attached (S.C.C. No.2 and No.1A Dark Brown stains), as per the 1942 camouflage regulations.

The factory picture is Otter CM 4647265 and is clearly painted with the "Mickey mouse" camouflage pattern. Mine Otter is CM 4647296 (31 machines younger), but I discovered it was originally painted with the older camouflage scheme (!), very often used in Italy (but in different colours).
Please see the attached pictures. The colours you can see on the pictures below are S.C.C. No.2 and more probably Dark Green G4.

For making me sure, I will take a sample of the green colour and will send it to one of the best Czech camouflage colour experts, Mr. Chory (Auradesign) who has the G4 sample from Mr. Starmer.

Up on the older camo pattern was also painted the red square (probably the div. sign) and up on this all was subsequently the next layer of paint - S.C.C. No.15, probably when the vehicle was re-painted under the regulations following in the years of 1944/45.
The last paint layer is some probably acrylic post war dutch paint.

I didn't expect it. It is strange, the older machine was obviously painted in the later camouflage pattern, probably straight in the factroy, and according to the fact, that we restorers are usually comming out from the WWII pictures, which are of course mostly black and white, I believe there is a posibility that the original factory pattern (at least until the original colour stocks were exhausted) was "brown - green" rather then "brown - dark brown". Or the rest of the greens were used used for a specific reason? Really don't know. It is not so much Otters nowadays around here, which can prove it... this might one of the last actually.

Also there is my other hypotesis it was a lot of Otters factory camouflaged for some specific theatre of operations, with more suitable camo.

I'd be happy for any clue from my more experianced restorer colleagues and fellow researchers as well as I also hope, that more colour examination in the near future will tell us more.

[lssah2025]

Very nice information, I couldn't see all of the different camo patterns when I looked at it, the barn was dark and everything looked the same, glad to see it still has the colors. We were also contemplating if the interior had a fire, it appeared so by the black soot and possible burn marks, have you got to see about the interior?

[Nech]

There was no fire inside the vehicle. It was just the black paint. All the surviving wiring is unharmed as well as the wooden stearing wheel, which would be partly burnt even from a small fire.

[lssah2025]

Glad to hear that...

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Just to throw something else into the mix. The remains of the CM number in the last pic is a stencil which means it is not factory, and is applied over the post-factory camouflage paint. From my experience GM armour left the factory in Khaki No.3, Brown No.2 or light stone (C-15Ta's olive drab in 1944-45) and were never factory camouflaged. There may have been brown No.2 Otters but I doubt it given the production dates.

Originally Posted by Nech

Thanks gentleman,

I think I don't need more pictures now. Thank you.

First I started with little colour research and it was a big surprise to me. I was expecting standard camouflage colours, as were seen on the factory and other WWII pictures, as is displayed on the first Otter picture I attached (S.C.C. No.2 and No.1A Dark Brown stains), as per the 1942 camouflage regulations.

The factory picture is Otter CM 4647265 and is clearly painted with the "Mickey mouse" camouflage pattern. Mine Otter is CM 4647296 (31 machines younger), but I discovered it was originally painted with the older camouflage scheme (!), very often used in Italy (but in different colours).
Please see the attached pictures. The colours you can see on the pictures below are S.C.C. No.2 and more probably Dark Green G4.

For making me sure, I will take a sample of the green colour and will send it to one of the best Czech camouflage colour experts, Mr. Chory (Auradesign) who has the G4 sample from Mr. Starmer.

Up on the older camo pattern was also painted the red square (probably the div. sign) and up on this all was subsequently the next layer of paint - S.C.C. No.15, probably when the vehicle was re-painted under the regulations following in the years of 1944/45.
The last paint layer is some probably acrylic post war dutch paint.

I didn't expect it. It is strange, the older machine was obviously painted in the later camouflage pattern, probably straight in the factroy, and according to the fact, that we restorers are usually comming out from the WWII pictures, which are of course mostly black and white, I believe there is a posibility that the original factory pattern (at least until the original colour stocks were exhausted) was "brown - green" rather then "brown - dark brown". Or the rest of the greens were used used for a specific reason? Really don't know. It is not so much Otters nowadays around here, which can prove it... this might one of the last actually.

Also there is my other hypotesis it was a lot of Otters factory camouflaged for some specific theatre of operations, with more suitable camo.

I'd be happy for any clue from my more experianced restorer colleagues and fellow researchers as well as I also hope, that more colour examination in the near future will tell us more.

[Nech]

Interesting info Bruce. So I will carefully examine also the paint layers under the lower census number, which is also partially present.

[Nech]

Dear friends, with the pain in my heart I am forced to tiny my collection a bit and my rare Otter have to go, but the new upcomming project was so tepmting I couldn't resist. And since I could not afford all I want, sadly she has to go.
It is a known vehicle, and had been discused over here some time ago. She is in good, quite complete pre-renovation condition, I can send the full Otter portfolio on demand in .pdf. If there is some serious buyer, please contact me BEST via my email.

The Otter is now located in Czech Republic, shipping assistance is not a problem.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Welcome to the grownup realities of the hobby. We are only temporary custodians of the artifacts, and cannot keep everything we want.

Good luck with the sale.

[lssah2025]

Well Martin is getting another great vehicle for selling his Otter, I will let him divulge it when he feels ready... so 3 otters on the market at once....

[Nech]

ON HOLD now. Thank you everyone for your interest!