Photo: Bring a Trailer/Wob
The world we occupy is in the most dreadful place it's been in years. Two major wars are ravaging two historic hotspots on the planet, protests are taking place in the world's major cities on various topics, and on top of that global warming is having a field day – where I live, for instance, we used to have snow by this time of the year, now we're cooking at 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).
With all that in mind, it's only natural for people to try and come up with plan Bs for wherever their lives were heading until now. And we're all thinking that, to the point when seeing someone purchase an armored vehicle probably for benign reasons, we immediately think otherwise.
It's not however uncommon for military gear, stripped of its lethal potential, to end up in civilian hands for various, non-belligerent reasons. Like this 1943 White Motor M2 half-track did last week.
The vehicle is part of the line of half-track machines White Motor produced during the Second World War for the U.S. Army. Developed with the purpose of towing artillery pieces, it also ended up being deployed for reconnaissance purposes.
The M2 weighed a massive nine tons, and was powered by a rather tiny 386ci inline-six engine tied to a four-speed manual transmission and capable of developing 148 horsepower.
It carried with it not enough armor to withstand small arms fire, but was also armed with heavy machine guns to fire at the enemy, mines to drop on the ground, and grenades to throw at the bad guys.
The one we're here to talk about now, not something we come across very often comes with the factory powertrain, but has been mildly modified to make it an easier-to-handle tool in the hands of civilians.
All of the truck's panels seem to still be there, including the folding armor over the windows and a gun turret. That one holds a machine gun, but it's a prop one, not something you could actually fire.
Elsewhere, additional gear makes the M2 a vehicle that could survive some of the world's most challenging environments. For instance, the two 20-inch steel wheels at the front it rides on are shod in military-style tires, while the rear tracks have rubber-coated steel treads.
The truck comes with a winch at the front, folding ladders at the back, and leaf spring suspension in between the two ends.
It can carry a total of eight people (six in the back and two in the front), shielded from the environment by means of the side armored panels. The cockpit is rather spartan, which is something that was to be expected for a truck such as this, but it does feature a push-button start and tan canvas over the bucket seats. The floor is made of steel plates.
It's unclear how many miles the M2 has, or where it served during its combat life. That mattered little for someone, though, who paid no less than $72,000 for it at the end of an online auction held last week.
It's not however uncommon for military gear, stripped of its lethal potential, to end up in civilian hands for various, non-belligerent reasons. Like this 1943 White Motor M2 half-track did last week.
The vehicle is part of the line of half-track machines White Motor produced during the Second World War for the U.S. Army. Developed with the purpose of towing artillery pieces, it also ended up being deployed for reconnaissance purposes.
The M2 weighed a massive nine tons, and was powered by a rather tiny 386ci inline-six engine tied to a four-speed manual transmission and capable of developing 148 horsepower.
It carried with it not enough armor to withstand small arms fire, but was also armed with heavy machine guns to fire at the enemy, mines to drop on the ground, and grenades to throw at the bad guys.
The one we're here to talk about now, not something we come across very often comes with the factory powertrain, but has been mildly modified to make it an easier-to-handle tool in the hands of civilians.
All of the truck's panels seem to still be there, including the folding armor over the windows and a gun turret. That one holds a machine gun, but it's a prop one, not something you could actually fire.
Elsewhere, additional gear makes the M2 a vehicle that could survive some of the world's most challenging environments. For instance, the two 20-inch steel wheels at the front it rides on are shod in military-style tires, while the rear tracks have rubber-coated steel treads.
The truck comes with a winch at the front, folding ladders at the back, and leaf spring suspension in between the two ends.
It can carry a total of eight people (six in the back and two in the front), shielded from the environment by means of the side armored panels. The cockpit is rather spartan, which is something that was to be expected for a truck such as this, but it does feature a push-button start and tan canvas over the bucket seats. The floor is made of steel plates.
It's unclear how many miles the M2 has, or where it served during its combat life. That mattered little for someone, though, who paid no less than $72,000 for it at the end of an online auction held last week.
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