The model 42 Desert Vehicle was developed for the Italian Army based on the chassis and mechanics of the AB 41 armoured car. Over the course of the operations on the African front the need arose for a reconnaissance vehicle specially adapted to the desert conditions, where driving on sand required particular features (large size tyres at low pressure, height from the ground, extensive autonomy) that were not present on the currently available vehicles. The engineers eliminated the dual running direction typical of the AB 41 and the four-wheel drive. The vehicle was produced in two armament configurations: one with 20 mm cannon/machine gun and the other with 47/32 anti-tank cannon. Several dozen of these vehicles were produced after the fall of the African front, the remaining AS 42s were re-deployed in Italy, ending their career in the police force in the 1950s.