Surprisingly, there’s not as much red tape as you may think when it comes to owning military vehicles in the U.S. What are the qualifications? It depends on the vehicle, but generally, it must not be armed or capable of firing any weapons it was built with (unless legal in the state it’s owned it), it also shouldn’t be retired or considered non-secret by the military of the country it’s from, and finally, it should be sold directly by the government who owned it.
Besides that, it doesn’t even have to be street legal, though surprisingly most of these are! From there it’s just a matter of snagging it at auction, buying it used, or importing it from another country. These vehicles were sold to “civies” at auction and every one of them could be found in someone’s backyard. Some of these are so surprisingly massive and powerful, it’s hard to even imagine being granted the wheel. While some of these military vehicles are stealthy and subtle, the sheer power and capability of others are shocking! Here are the coolest military vehicles sold to civilians.
11
Go-Ped Knightrider
Alright, this isn’t the tank you were expecting but hear us out. This ain’t your daughter’s electric Vespa. This is a reliable powered transport used by the U.S. and Isreal not just for personal mobility but used in ACTUAL COMBAT.
The latest ones have electric motors taking it up to 19 mph (35 with some tweaks) with a range of 25 miles. The quiet and speedy nature was great for relaying commands, moving troops discretely, and traveling rough terrain.
10
Willys Jeep MB
If you want a true classic get the Willys Jeep MB or Ford Jeep. It was made from 1941 to 1945 for World War II. It was the first with four-wheel drive and was notoriously unreliable but still easy enough to repair by design. In fact, it came in a crate that they could drop out of airplanes and many soldiers could build with little training or instruction.
They were thus so popular that Willy couldn’t supply more than the 360,000 or so needed, so Ford stepped in with their own jeep to make 280,000. They would both go on to have customized fittings like a flat body top to use as an ambulance, a boat body for amphibious use, and even the first snorkel!
9
Polaris MV 850
This all-wheel-drive ATV can be bought new from Polaris but unlike the military version, it doesn’t come standard with the airless tires. This little thing is more like a tank than any four-wheeler you’d ever drive. It’s a four-stroke that makes 850 ccs and consequently has a payload of 850 lbs. Simple enough for stressed-out soldiers to remember.
It can also tow more than most sedans—up to 1,500 lbs! Possibly the coolest thing is the design of the roll bar, actually used to right the vehicle after it tips.
8
DUKW 6-Wheeled Amphibious Truck
Pronounced “duck,” this World War II craft was a 6×6 boat made by GM and powered by its straight-six engine on land and water. It weighed 13,000 lbs empty and also had an air compressor and winch on hand.
The top speed was around 50 mph on land and 6.3 mph on water. If you have the space for this 31-foot barge, you ought to get it! It’s going up in value. And if the missus objects, just let her know it’s a convertible! It’s true!
7
GM’s Hummer HMMWV
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (or HMMWV, thus the Humvee) is considered a “light” utility vehicle. It kicked off in 1985 and even though it’s been replaced in service, it’s still used for reserves and less important operations.
Some had upgrades of 1,000 lbs of armor plating that Iron Man wished he had. It’s so robust that it adds two feet of width to the standard Humvee. While people like to mention Arnold’s H1’s, the Humvee is far less civilian without any AC, no stereo, no fancy paint, and lots of other simplifications. Most don’t even come with any doors!
6
OT-64 Skot
Now we’re getting to the big boys you were expecting! This bad boy is an 8×8 amphibious “personnel carrier” made by Czechoslovakia until the mid-’60s. It could go 60 on land and 5.5 in the water and weighed a driveway-breaking 29,000 lbs. If you worry about driver comfort, don’t get this.
The non-adjustable seat is difficult to get in and the driver’s head peeks out of a small view cabin with the steering wheel a mere 18″ below the actual roofline.
5
A German Panzer IV Tank
What? You can own this? Yes! While it requires some special permits and the canons don’t fire (duh), you can totally buy, own, mod, and even drive this thing! Though almost everyone would opt to just keep it in a museum because it’s so old.
Used in WWII, these were called “Panzerkampfwagen” and despite weighing over 51,000 lbs they could go up to 20 mph over land, powered by a Maybach HL120 TR, or a 12 L high-performance dry-sump V12 engine. No one knows the real horsepower, but who cares when you’re in a tank?
4
Paramount Marauder
This was produced out of South Africa circa 2007 and to today, and it’s not just for the military. You can buy it brand-new from the Paramount Group with seating for 10 (two up front and eight folding seats in the back). It might not look like it, but it was made for reconnaissance and peacekeeping missions.
It came in a 4×4 or 6×6 that could drive 430 miles on one diesel-filled tank and reach speeds up to 75 mph. The heart of it is a Cummins ISBe4-300 Diesel that makes a measly 300 horsepower, but that’s irrelevant because this machine was built to withstand multiple anti-tank mines to the hull and tires as tungsten carbide NATO-standard level III ballistic protection. (A.K.A. drive in this if you want to live!)
3
M939 Series 5-Ton 6×6
This is one you might’ve literally seen in your neighbor’s backyard. These 6x6s have been selling more frequently at surplus auctions for various reasons and cost as little as $14,000!
The best part is that they come in an automatic, the only one on this list. It can carry up to 37,000 lbs and go up to 55 mph. They often came with fittings like a pneumatic dump truck, a large van expansion kit, and two rows of benches for troops. Normally the cab went up to 10′ high, but versions like the expansible van could be as tall as 15′ and wide as 12′. Imagine the van life possibilities! With a 350 mile range on 81 gallons of diesel, it’s no Prius. In fact, it gets 4 gallons per mile. You read that right. 4 gallons per mile.
2
Mk10 Chieftain Tank
This is one of the most aggressive and large tanks in U.K. history. It had the most powerful gun of the time and introduced the supine (laying-down) driving position allowing it to have a much lower profile.
Its 750 horsepower opposed-piston engine could only carry its 55 tons up to 27 mph. Not only can you buy this for your own garage, but one company, Drive-A-Tank even lets you use it to crush cars!
1
MAZ-7310 Scud-B Missile Launcher (Demilitarized with Unoperable Missle)
This Soviet missile launcher is designed to carry and launch a 13,889-pound surface-to-surface missile but in this case, the explosives and launch fuel have been removed. One such vehicle sold for $345,000 in the states, and an empty MAZ-7310’s can be seen puttering around on all eight wheels driven by a 38.9 liter, 525 horsepower diesel engine that could get its 43,000-65,00-pound body up to 37 mph.
Unfortunately for capitalism, North Korea now has gotten several from the Soviets ever since they hit the market, but on a brighter note; you could literally own your own! Maybe be a patriot and buy up all the stock? Who wouldn’t want to see one of these making a grocery run to Walmart?
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