The last 80 plus years have seen significant changes in the automobile industry. Man has made armored cars that were previously considered to be the stuff of science fiction. The creation of the first automobile opened up a whole new way of life for many people. It has become easy to visit any place in a very short time, which has become much much faster than walking or riding a carriage.
Moreover, the invention of armored cars allowed the automobile industry to take a step further. Armored cars are equipped with unique accessories and amenities for the protection and safety of the passenger. Previously, these bulletproof cars were created only for the army, which they usually used on the battlefield. But now they have become more and more common all over the world.
Here you will learn 17 interesting facts about armored cars.
- The first armored car was designed in 1485 by Leonardo Vinci. It was a turtle-shaped car with a turret. It was covered with guns on top that moved in all directions, turning 360 degrees.
- The first armored car was actually the Bellamore, which hit the roads of New York in 1910. It was named after David Havelock Bellamore, who invented it.
- There are currently over one hundred thousand armored vehicles in use worldwide. The average cost is almost $120,000, with many vehicles costing over $3 million.
- The chances of dying in a crash in a normal car are 1 in 5,000, while in an armored or bulletproof car it is about 1 in 30,000.
- Toyota Landcruiser is the most popular armored vehicle in the world.
- It is mostly wealthy business owners and governments who buy armored cars. Although lawyers are now also buying them for their own safety.
- The best thing about armored cars is that they give the passenger an average of 6 seconds to realize they are under attack and what to do to get out of the situation.
- During the Iraq War, armored vehicles saved more than 200 lives.
- The biggest reason for the mass production of bulletproof cars is terrorist attacks and kidnappings.
- Armored personnel carriers can operate quickly, reliably and with stability for several tens of kilometers even after their tires are deflated.
- The armored vehicles weigh almost as much as a humpback whale, about 48 tons.
- Following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, new features were added to armored vehicles to improve passenger safety.
- Many bulletproof cars contain CCTV cameras that are monitored and recorded by both the driver and the control room. It provides complete protection for the passengers and their contents.
- Armored personnel carriers are also used to protect civilians so they can escape from dangerous situations.
- Armored personnel carriers or bulletproof cars have become so popular today that politicians, celebrities, businessmen, famous sportsmen and many other outstanding personalities turn to these cars. This should ensure complete protection and safety of themselves and their valuables while driving.
- The official car of the US President Barack Obama, nicknamed "The Beast", is not just a luxury limousine; it can be called the most armored and protected in the world. 20-centimeter door armor and 12-centimeter window armor can withstand direct shots from large-caliber weapons. In case of a chemical attack, there are oxygen cylinders. Here you can also find tear gas cannons, guns for security, as well as containers with the president's blood for transfusion. This is an armored car. And that's putting it mildly. Probably, the presidential limousine is the most armored and protected car on our planet. What is worth 20-centimeter armor like on a Boeing 757, and 12-centimeter thick armored glass. Let's not forget about the Kevlar-reinforced Goodyear tires, which, even after an attempt to shoot and a shell hit them, will be able to take the president to his destination. The car's interior is virtually cut off from the outside world, has several air filtration systems, which reduces the likelihood of a chemical attack on the car to zero, and the Beast's gas tank is protected and isolated from the outside world in case of a direct blow or damage while driving over rough terrain.
- The Marauder armored car was recognized as the most durable in the world in 2011. It successfully passed all the brutal tests that the team of the famous Top Gear program subjected it to. Initially, the car was created to accompany convoys and transport infantry units. Now anyone can buy it, since most countries in Africa live with a criminalized society, the armored car is used by people who want to be killed or blown up on every corner. Richard Hammond blew up a Hummer and a Marauder to pass the final test, simulating the cars running over land mines, since this is a common thing in combat areas. The result: a completely destroyed Hummer, while the Marauder, having only minor damage, calmly left the scene of the explosion on its own.
