Military vehicles are popular amongst civilians. There are loads of military surplus vehicles in the market today, of which some are road-legal. As long as your military vehicle is free of armaments, rides on wheels, and is not wider than 102 mm, you can make it road legal. Of course, there are many more parameters, but these are the obvious ones.
Although these aren’t going to be your daily drivers, it is fun to buy them as a collector if you have some extra moolah to burn. With the way the world’s going these days, you never know when the earth will be hit by an apocalypse and a military vehicle will be your best bet to live longer. So, here are 10 military vehicles that you can buy today either new or used.
Jeep Staff Car Concept - $40,000
The Jeep Staff Car Concept looks neat and it's something you wouldn’t mind driving on the roads often. A layman will pass it off as customized Wrangler. The desert storm paint shade looks classy and has got matching steel wheels as well. It has a soft top and comes without any doors. While it looks like any other Jeep, it has a pretty long wheelbase and sits high off the ground. It is powered by Jeep’s famous 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar engine that makes 285 horses and 260 pound-feet of torque. As it should be, the engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Surprisingly, this Jeep is quick off the line as per military car standards and takes just eight seconds to hit the 60 mph mark. Although it is capable of hovering over rough terrains, it scores almost a zero when it comes to personal safety because of the lack of doors and a soft top.
Jeep Staff Car Concept specifications
Engine: |
3.6-liter, V-6 Pentastar |
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Horsepower: |
285 |
Torque: |
260 pound-feet |
Transmission: |
Six-speed Manual Gearbox |
Read our full review on the Jeep Staff Car Concept
GAZ Tigr - $110,000
The GAZ Tigr’s claim-to-fame was when Russia included it in its forces in 2006. The Tigr is equally strong on tarmac as it is off the road. When you look at the stature of the vehicle, you wouldn’t expect it to have a good interior as such. However, the Tigr features leather seats, air conditioning, and an audio system, and that plays a big role in attracting civilian customers.
The GAZ Tigr weighs around 16,000 pounds and comes with stuff like an inflation system, electric winch, and fire extinguishing system, to name a few. The civilian version can’t be had with any armament, of course, but you can get different levels of armor protection based on your budget.
GAZ Tigr specifications
Engine: |
5.9-liter, six-cylinder Cummins diesel engine |
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Horsepower: |
180 |
Torque: |
450 pound-feet |
Transmission: |
Six-speed Manual Gearbox |
Paramount Marauder - $485,000
The Marauder is exactly the kind of vehicle that defines this list. The vehicle made its debut in 2007 in Abu Dhabi and has made its presence felt all across the globe ever since. The vehicle is as protected as one can be and can even withstand landmines.
The Marauder’s payload capacity was designed to carry armaments like machine guns and missile launchers.
It is road-legal in some variants and can make Hummer owners green with envy. Engine specs are listed quite vaguely even on the official site. This African beast is certainly not a cheap vehicle, but it will surely protect you in case of an apocalypse. Oh, and did I mention that it weighs over 24,000 pounds?
Paramount Marauder specifications
Engine: |
Six-cylinder, turbodiesel mill |
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Horsepower: |
221 |
Torque: |
591 pound-feet |
Transmission: |
Automatic Gearbox |
Read our full review on the Paramount Marauder
Oshkosh L-ATV - $450,000
The Oshkosh L-ATV is a replacement to the aging Humvee in the U.S. Army’s cavalry. The Humvee was good for mobility in the fields but not for warfare. A few mods were made to make it an armored vehicle, but that took a hit on the mobility.
The Oshkosh L-ATV can do both the jobs, and hence, it replaced the Humvee. The $450,000 version is with all the weapons and armor included, but this isn’t available to civilians. The ripped-off, road-legal version starts at $250,000. It weighs just over 10,000 pounds and can go all the way up to 70 mph.
Oshkosh L-ATV specifications
Engine: |
6.6-liter, Duramax diesel |
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Horsepower: |
340 horses |
Torque: |
455 pound-feet (unconfirmed) |
Transmission: |
Six-speed Automatic Gearbox |
Read our full review on the Oshkosh L-ATV
Humvee - $10,000
The Humvee is being phased out by the U.S. Army in favor of the Oshkosh L-ATV but it is still in production. As of 2014, the U.S. government had sold about 4,000 Humvees to civilians. The Humvee’s production started back in 1984 and was designed primarily for personnel and light cargo transport behind front lines, not as a front line fighting vehicle.
The original M998 model was powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 mill that was sufficient to make the Humvee sprint up to 70 mph.
The Humvee might be losing prominence now, but it is an icon nevertheless. You can find Humvees for sale for as low as $10,000 in the used markets.
Humvee specifications
Engine: |
6.2-liter, V-8 |
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Horsepower: |
150 |
Torque: |
451 pound-feet |
Transmission: |
Three-speed Manual Gearbox |
Read our full review on the Humvee
Dodge WC Utility Truck - $5,000
The Dodge WC is a true military truck with a lot of war-field experience in its arsenal (pun intended). The WC Series was built specifically for the military during World War II and came with an option of either a four-wheel-drive or six-wheel-drive. More than half the trucks supplied to the U.S. military during World War II were Dodge WCs. The truck itself looks classy and comes sans any doors or hardtop. The last of the batch came with a 6.5-liter, liquid-cooled engine. The WC can be found ranging from as low as $5,000 to six-digit figures. You’ll be able to find a good example if you spend a little extra time searching for them.
Dodge WC Utility Truck specifications
Engine: |
6.5-liter, liquid-cooled |
---|---|
Horsepower: |
92 |
Torque: |
180 pound-feet |
Transmission: |
Four-speed Manual Gearbox |
SdKfz 251 - $624,000
For the uninformed folks, no, that’s not a typo. The SdKfz 251 was a versatile truck that doubled up as a tank also. Pretty neat, right? This armored vehicle was used to transport German soldiers to the battlefield. 22 trims of this vehicle were based upon four models. It came with armor plates for the defense, and machine guns and rifle bullets for offense. Believe it or not, the SdKfz 251 is not as rare as most of the other models mentioned on this list. Over 15,000 examples of this truck-tank were built, although most of them aren’t in drivable condition today. That is precisely why the vehicle is can cost you over half-million dollars today.
SdKfz 251 specifications
Engine: |
4.2-liter, six-cylinder Maybach gasoline mill |
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Horsepower: |
100 |
Torque: |
N/A |
Transmission: |
Six-speed Manual Gearbox |
Steyr Puch Pinzgauer - $25,000
The Steyr Puch Pinzgauer was born in early the 70s, and even today, it is as tough as it used to be back then. Don’t be fooled by its minivan-esque looks; the vehicle is one of the toughest ones out there. Fun fact: Pinzgauer is named after an Austrian-bred horse. Talking about its smart engineering,
Yes, this was back in the 70s. You can find well-maintained examples even today, ranging in the $30,000 ballpark.
Steyr Puch Pinzgauer specifications
Engine: |
2.5-liter, five-cylinder turbodiesel |
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Horsepower: |
136 |
Torque: |
207 pound-feet |
Transmission: |
Five-speed Manual or Four-speed Automatic Gearbox |
Renault Sherpa - $272,000
Renault Sherpa is the perfect vehicle you could ask for in apocalyptic times. It looks quite similar to Dwayne Johnson’s Gurkha F5 from the Fast and Furious movie series. The Sherpa series consists of six vehicles in the lineup with varying protection for each one. Many armed forces across the globe have included the Sherpa in their cavalry.
The Sherpa is available only through special orders. It is mainly designed for tactical missions and that is what makes it a hit amongst civilians. The beast is powered by a 4.76-liter four-pot mill that churns out over 200 horses. If you’re looking to buy the Sherpa, be ready to shell out over $250,000.
Read our full review on the Renault Sherpa