The model 42 Desert Vehicle originated for the Italian Army on the basis of the framework and mechanics for the AB 41 armoured vehicle. Throughout the operations on the African front side, the requirement arose for a reconnaissance automobile especially adjusted to the desert conditions, where driving in sand required specific features (large size tyres at low force, height from the ground, extensive autonomy) that were perhaps not current on available automobiles. The designers eliminated the dual running way typical regarding the AB 41 together with four-wheel drive. The automobile ended up being produced in two armament configurations: one with 20 mm cannon/machine weapon plus the other with 47/32 anti-tank cannon. Several dozen of the cars had been produced
