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World’s Only Stretched Tracked Vehicle, the Tank Limo, Is How You Do Prom Right

If you’re going to do prom right, there’s only one way to do it: by renting out what must be the most badass, awesome limousine in the world, the Tank Limo. It might not have neon lights or TVs or be as comfortable as others, but it is bound to help you make an entrance.
The Tank Limo, currently sporting a more somber paintjob 10 photos
Photo: YouTube / Barcroft Cars
The Tank Limo, currently sporting a more somber paintjobThe Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road-legal stretched tracked vehicleThe Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road-legal stretched tracked vehicleThe Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road-legal stretched tracked vehicleThe Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road-legal stretched tracked vehicleThe Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road-legal stretched tracked vehicleThe Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road-legal stretched tracked vehicleThe Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road-legal stretched tracked vehicleThe Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road-legal stretched tracked vehicle
The Tank Limo is the property of Nick Mead, who owns Tanks A Lot, a rental company in Northamptonshire, UK. As the name implies, they do tanks, but they also do refitting / restoration and sales of civilian vehicles. Nick has been in the business for over three decades, and got the idea after accidentally buying two used tanks off eBay and finding someone willing to pay more than half the price of one for a single day of riding in it.

Renting out tanks is not a novel idea. In fact, there’s an entire business dedicated to stress-relieving through tank rides or even tank-crushing non-moving objects, like small cars or mobile homes. However, where Tanks A Lot stands out is in offering what is billed as the world’s only stretched tracked vehicle, the Tank Limo.

To be sure, there is no official record that there is no other like it out there, but Nick is pretty sure there isn’t. If there is, it’s not even half as famous and popular as this one.

The Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road\-legal stretched tracked vehicle
Photo: TankLimo.com
Speaking with Barcroft Cars in the summer of 2019, for a segment of Ridiculous Rides (which you can also find at the bottom of the page), Nick says he’s been renting tanks for almost 30 years. Even with his experience, not a single one of his properties is as in-demand as the Tank Limo.

And, guess what, the Tank Limo is perfect for a variety of occasions, not just prom nights.

“[We’ve] done christenings, kids’ parties, stag parties, we’ve done hen parties, we’ve done proms, we’ve done everything. And right at the end, we can even do your funeral,” Nick explains. “We do everything from birth to death.”

The idea for the Tank Limo came about as he realized their pink Abbott wasn’t really cutting it in terms of passenger comfort. Despite the name, the Tank Limo is actually two tanks welded together, which adds to maneuverability because the vehicle is able to turn from the front. This also means that “every turn you do is a skid.” Imagine drifting in a military vehicle.

Welder Nigel Smith put together two former former British Army FV432 APCs and an original two-man turret from a FV432 used in the Berlin Brigade. The front of the Limo saw action in the Golf and the back served in Bosnia, according to an older appearance on Dom Jolly’s show (also available at the bottom of the page). GKN Sankey made about 3,000 FV432 APCs between the ‘60s and the ‘90s, and they’re still being used today, just not in the frontline.

This one is 22 feet (6.7 meters) long and 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide, and weighs about 17.5 tons, though Nick can’t be quite sure of that because he only weighed it once, a long time ago. The original APC is only about 2 tons lighter.

The Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road\-legal stretched tracked vehicle
Photo: TankLimo.com
Surprisingly, the Tank Limo is perfectly road legal. Powered by a Rolls-Royce K60 2-stroke 6-cylinder engine developing 240 horsepower and coupled to a TX-200-4A semi-automatic transmission, it can do up to 35 or even 40 mph (56.3 – 64.3 kph), but it’s mostly driven at slower speeds. Many public British roads have a 20 mph (32.1 kph) speed limit.

It runs on both gasoline and diesel, and does 4 miles to the gallon. Tank commander Tod Chamberlain says it’s a pain to maintain because, once something goes bad, many other things seem to malfunction as well. In typical British fashion, he compares fixing a Russian tank to an American one, where you only need a hammer to get the former up and running again.

The windows are bullet-proof (take than, Elon!) and the original smoke grenade dischargers have been de-milled. In order to be road-legal, it rolls on rubber-padded tracks. Perhaps even more surprising is that you can actually drive this thing on L-plates, the U.S. equivalent of a learner’s permit, and that it’s tax and MOT-exempt.

Nick and Tod have actually taken the Tank Limo down London’s most poshest and crowded streets and, through all the years it’s been in operation, have been involved in just one accident, when they clipped the side mirror of a van. The driver, they say, was so happy he’d gotten in a crash with a tank that he forgot to get angry about it.

The Tank Limo, unofficially the world's only road\-legal stretched tracked vehicle
Photo: TankLimo.com
Inside, the Limo has seating for up to 10 passengers on fold-down bench-style seating. There’s a TV screen and some attempt at replicating the interior of a traditional limo, but really, no one hitching a ride in this thing is looking for creature comforts.

Speaking of which, the Tank Limo cost £50,000 ($62,900 at today’s exchange rate) to build and can be rented for a £1,600 ($2,000) fee. Depending on how many people you’re willing to share this awesome experience with, it’s not really that expensive, all things considered.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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