[sizecocktail]

The third design consideration is security. Clearly, bullet resistance is of little use if the truck's operators and cargo are not securely separated from the outside world. With this in mind, security measures are aimed at installing and maintaining barriers. Most armored cars operate with two armed guards—a driver, who never leaves the vehicle, and a second guard known as a hopper, who rides in the cargo hold and carries valuables to and from the truck. The driver's compartment is separated from the cargo area by a steel bulkhead. The doors through which the hopper travels are fitted with slam locks, which automatically lock when the door swings shut. Once these doors are locked, the driver must reopen them electronically from the inside. Inside the cargo area, the hopper may place valuables inside a locked box, or he may use a drop safe, which has a one way chute and can only be opened once the truck has returned to its home facility. The gun ports installed in each door employ a spring-loaded plate that must be slid open from the inside to prevent assailants from using them to fire into the vehicle. The security requirements necessitate additional steps to accomplish the final design goal—crew comfort. [links]

[bittard]

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) measures the maximum a motor vehicle can safely weigh, including its cargo and passengers. The average GVW for a "route truck," which makes everyday pickups and deliveries for banks and merchants, is 25,000 lb (11,350 kg). The average finished route truck weighs 12,000 lb (5,448 kg). This leaves 13,000 lb (5,902 kg) for cargo and guards. Reducing the finished weight of a truck allows for greater cargo weight. Decreasing the amount of armoring is not an attractive option, so trucks that need to haul heavier cargo, such as coins, must be built on larger, heavier chassises. A tandem-axle truck designed to haul large pallets of coin can have a GVW upwards of 55,000 lb (24,970 kg). [links]

[adamjkok]

Most manufacturers use the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standards for ballistic resistance as a point of reference for the armoring and windows on their trucks. UL tests various materials for their ability to withstand fire from a variety of weapons and rates the materials from Class 1 to Class 4. Class 1 offers the lowest resistance (a shot from a large caliber handgun) and Class 4 offers the highest. The trucks them-selves are considered commercial vehicles and therefore must comply with standards set by the U.S. Department of Transportation. But most of the industry's quality control and design specifications are determined by what the insurance companies that underwrite armored carriers are willing to accept. The insurance underwriters determine acceptable armor levels, type and number of locks, and most stringently, operating procedures.

[Dennis]

Early armored cars only wore steel plating on their body panels; they retained the wooden floors of the truck chassises on which they were built. This ended in 1927 when thieves buried explosives in the road and blew up a Brink's truck carrying $100,000 in payroll money. In the 1930s and 40s, manufacturers experimented with aluminum, which has a distinct weight advantage over steel. The metal was found to fatigue and crack after a short time and was discontinued. The 1970s worldwide fuel shortage spurred manufacturers to try lightweight plastic armor and smaller, more fuel-efficient chassises, but the results were similar to those with aluminum and the traditional steel regained its dominance in the industry. more

[bart27newton]

The first attempts at commercial armored trucks were inspired by the combat success of military armored cars in World War I. After the war, a marked increase in violent robberies of payroll clerks and messengers carrying deposits brought about the need for safer ways to transport cash. In 1920, a Chicago area delivery company called Brink's started converting school buses into security vehicles by attaching steel plates to the lower body panels and barring the windows. Each bus was followed by a Model-T automobile filled with armed guards. The first true commercial armored car was built that same year in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for a St. Paul police chief turned private detective Mike Sweeney. Sweeney designed the car and put it into service for his Sweeney Detective Bureau. more

[Willsway]

Military: It's no surprise that vehicles used by the military are the most heavily armored. It's also no surprise that they are the most expensive to armor, at around $1 million each. [links]

[virgo20]

A few manufacturers, like Mercedes-Benz in Europe, are able to armor vehicles at the factory. Most armored vehicles, though, get their extra protection from specialists. Companies like The Armored Group and Alpine Armoring buy plain-Jane vehicles and transform them into G.I. Jane-worthy armored vehicles. [links]

[Wraith]

Customers for these vehicles range from governments, who buy them for heads of state, to CEOs and heads of non-governmental organizations operating in violent and dangerous parts of the world. And, of course, banks, police and militaries use armored vehicles.

[lachesis]

SUVs/Sedans: These are sometimes called "personal protection vehicles." They don't look any different than straight-from-the-factory models, but they've had armor applied throughout. The Chevrolet Suburban is the most popular personal protection model. more

[dmytrij]

Cash in Transit: This is the Brinks or Wells Fargo truck, which is not always all that well armored. Usually, these trucks only have to protect against handguns, which requires a lower level of armoring. more

[romsek]

One group of cars made were the Leichter Panzerspähwagen series; light-armored vehicles intended primarily for reconnaissance missions. The need for reliable and adaptable vehicles meant they could run on a various amount of different fuel grades, and worked well on many types of terrain.

[bitcoinuser]

SdKfz. 222 Leichter Panzerspähwagen light armored car more

[Nevezen]

This version deemed insufficient, both offensively and defensively. This realisation led to a new variant with a rear mounted 3.5 L 75 hp V8 engine. This vehicle was designated the Sd Kfz 222.

[kenjo]

The engine, transmission, and all-wheel-drive system are standard. Under the hood, there is a 205 hp and 430 Nm V8 4.5 turbodiesel, which works with manual transmission. It is curious that a four-seater pickup can be ordered with less power. A potential buyer can order a 172 hp 4.2-liter diesel engine or a 231 hp 4.0 petrol engine. At the request of the customer, the armor class can be upgraded to the highest BR7, but in South Africa, special permission from the authorities will be required to own such a car.

[cre8r]

The target audience of the model is not at all military. SVI Engineering believes that the armored car will be in demand of police, security companies, and convoy services. [links]

[destinbrides]

A new car is a more spacious version of the Max 3 model, presented in 2020. The Land Cruiser 79 armored car made by SVI Engineering does not resemble the donor in any way. The body of the car is designed from scratch in accordance with all the canons for creating bulletproof vehicles. Also, a special sunroof appeared, which serves as an emergency exit. There are only three doors, but there are no partitions in the carriage-type cabin. here

[EricJ2190]

The armored Land Cruiser meets the BR6 or BR7 standard and can be used on public roads.

[Mimaia1982]

The armored car can meet the BR6 or BR7 standard. The basic version is able to survive the shelling of an AK-47 assault rifle with 7.62 caliber ammunition, and the improved version will help protect against detonation of hand grenades and small mines. more

[hatice23]

South African company specializing in armored vehicles has unveiled the Max 3 Troopy. This is an eight-seater armored car based on the Toyota Land Cruiser of the 70th series, protected by the BR6 class. This means it can withstand shelling from an assault rifle.