armored car

A Rolls Royce armoured car 1920 pattern

Railway shop workers built this vehicle for use by the Danish resistance movement near the end of World War II.

An armored (or armoured) car (see spelling differences#-our / -or) is one of several types of wheeled armored vehicles: a military wheeled armored vehicle, a civilian bullet-proof passenger car, or a special-purpose armored cargo vehicle for transporting valuable contents.

History

Military armored cars

A modern French VBL reconnaissance vehicle.

See also: List of military armored cars

A military armored car is a type of armored fighting vehicle having wheels (from four to eight large off-road wheels) instead of tracks, and usually light armor. Armored cars are typically less expensive and have superior speed and range compared to tracked military vehicles. Most are not intended for heavy fighting; their normal use is for reconnaissance, command, control, and communications, or for use against lightly armed insurgents or rioters. Only some are intended to enter close combat, often accompanying convoys to protect soft-skinned vehicles. They usually mount a machine gun, autocannon, or small tank gun. Other uses include as a way to move (or tow) various long-range rocket, missile, or mortar batteries through dangerous areas while giving some protection to the crew.

Armored cars are popular for peacekeeping or internal security duties. Their appearance is less confrontational and threatening than tanks, and their size and manoeuvrability is more compatible with tight urban spaces designed for wheeled vehicles. They can also be much more easily air-deployed in cargo planes.

Modified

At the beginning of the twentieth century a number of military armored vehicles were manufactured by adding armor and weapons to existing vehicles. Most of the early designs were a large car chassis to which a body made of steel plates had been added.

Alternatively, civilian vehicles may be modified into improvised armored cars in ad-hoc fashion. Many militias and irregular forces adapt civilian vehicles into AFVs (Armoured Fighting Vehicles) and troop carriers, and in some regional conflicts these "technicals" are the only combat vehicles present. On occasion, even the soldiers of national militaries are forced to adapt their civilian-type vehicles for combat use, often using improvised armor and scrounged weapons.

Purpose-built

Many modern forces now have their dedicated armored car designs, to exploit the advantages noted above. Examples would be the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle of the USA or Alvis Saladin of the post-World War II era in the United Kingdom.

Civilian armored cars

VIP transport

Armored Mercedes-Benz W220 of the type used by the President of Germany.

Civilian armored cars are either (in only a few cases) factory produced, such as the BMW 7 Series High Security, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Guard and the armored Audi A6 and A8 cars, or (in the majority of cases) retrofitted versions of series cars. A security vehicle is made by replacing the windows with bulletproof glass and inserting layers of armor under the outer skin of the car, a labour-intensive process that takes a few weeks and costs about $100,000 in the U.S. The makers usually leave the external appearance of the car unchanged, in order to not look conspicuous. In most cases materials like Aramid (e.g. Twaron), HMPE (e.g. Dyneema), composites or ballistic steel plates are used, and the increased mass is offset by an enhanced engine and brakes. Composite armor combinations may reduce weight, but tend to increase the cost even further.

Besides the armor itself, many other protective modifications are available: automatic fire extinguishers, run-flat tires, an explosion-resistant fuel tank, remote starting of the car, pressure and temperature control of the tires, a siren or alarm, and an intercom between the exterior and interior of the car. Sometimes the inside can be sealed or overpressured, using its own air supply, to protect against gas attacks. Civilian armored cars may have obvious armor protection, or they may be totally indistinguishable from an unarmored model. There are also armored variants of smaller cars, such as the VW Golf, to further conceal their function and capabilities.

Armored cars are in common use by people who feel at risk and can afford them, for example politicians, entrepreneurs, ambassadors, or in higher-risk areas including Iraq, Moscow, Washington D.C. or Mexico City. Diplomatic missions and private military contractors typically use armored cars as standard vehicles. As a side benefit, armored cars are typically very safe for their occupants in a car accident.

Valuables transport

The other type of civilian armored car is an armored van or truck, used in transporting valuables, such as large quantities of money (especially for banks or retail companies). They are equipped to resist attempts at robbery or hijacking. They may be manned with armed guards but do not usually mount weapons (such equipment would be illegal for private forces in most developed countries). Such armored cars are usually operated by security firms.

Gallery

Kubuś, a Polish WWII armored vehicle made by the Home Army	Armored Rescue Vehicle Metropolitan Nashville Police SWAT	Armored van in Manila	Armored truck in Barcelona
Polish Dzik-2 in the colours of the Polish Military Police.	Israeli EMS armoured MICU ambulance for when EMS crews may be shot at

See also

• Armouring:
  • Aramid
  • Bulletproof glass
  • Twaron
  • Vehicle armour
• Gun truck
• Tankette

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