After searching the web, I haven't found many instances of Ferrets in actual combat situations, apart from the troubles in Ireland, a few UN outposts and possible the Rhodesian insurgency. The scout car is an incredibly cool machine, but would give pause if actually getting shot at in it.
Any machine is a compromise, the Ferret is no exception. The hull is a monocoque structure (no frame) and includes the engine in the same compartment practically as the crew. This arrangement isn't much different than the first tanks in WW1, except that the engine is muffled better and doesn't give off as many fumes as it's earlier brother. One advantage of this situation is heat in winter. The Ferret has no heater, but the crew would reverse the cooling fan to heat the cab. This reminds you of the Ford Model T accessory heater, which was a hole in the firewall next to the exhaust manifold.
Inside the tub, the crew are seperated from the engine by the 100 gallon gas tank. At first thought this should be diesel fuel, as it's harder to ignite, but the Rolls Royce engine drinks gasoline. The thinnest armor is the engine cover, so it's not that big a stretch to take a few armor piercing rounds from a rooftop into the gas tank, which, it it didn't light off, would at least pool up under the crew, making them uncomfortable about the situation at least. But to me, it seems the biggest threat is the simplest, the RPG. A rocket propelled grenade with a shaped charge would make mincemeat out of the Ferret, whose design is simply too old to be effective.
It is surprising, since the scout car has been used the world over, that there aren't more burned out hulks than there are, which is none that I can find. This makes the scout car in effect the safest thing to have served in.
