Military Vehicles The Public Can Buy

Above, the Willys Jeep M38A1 I bought six years ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It would be a real eye-opener to drive down a residential street and seeing a Sherman tank parked in someone's driveway.

But, unusual it may be, according to a website on military vehicles the public can buy, Sherman tanks can be bought. Beware! They are pricey!

CarBuzz posted a list of military vehicles the public can buy. Included in the list (number 5) are Willys M38A1 Jeeps. I bought a Willys Jeep M38A1 six years ago and have had lots of fun with it.

Their posting starts with:

Here at CarBuzz we usually like to talk about, well, cars, but we also know that sometimes your choice of vehicle may go slightly off the beaten track (literally and figuratively). And by that we don't mean the kind of off-road prowess provided by a Jeep Wrangler, or a Hummer EV SUV that can crab-walk itself across rough terrain.

Several vehicles formerly employed for military use, from snowmobiles to off-roaders and even tanks, are available on the market to be purchased by civilians, and could make a great addition to the garage of a history enthusiast. Some, like the Humvee and the original Willys Jeep, had civilian counterparts that became icons over the course of automotive history. In this list we have selected ten military vehicles available for purchase by the public, in case you want to park something on your drive that’s a bit more unusual than a Toyota Corolla.

To read more, go here. 

Willys M38A1 Jeeps In "Goldfinger"

Above, a M38A1 Willys Jeep in Goldfinger. IMCDb.org photo.

At the time that the James Bond movie, Goldfinger (1964) was made, the Willys Jeep M38A1 had been in production for twelve years.

Last night, I was watching Goldfinger. It had been a while since I last viewed it. During prior viewings, my attention wasn't focused on the Jeeps in the movie. Since I now have a 1952 M38A1, they caught my attention. I spotted two Willys M38A1 Jeeps in the movie. (IMCDb lists them as 1951 models in error.)

During the scenes leading up to the attack on Fort Knox in Kentucky, one M38A1 was in the caravan going to Fort Knox. There was another M38A1 containing soldiers supposedly killed by Delta 9 nerve gas.

After spotting them, I got out my cell phone and snapped some photos of the two Jeeps from my television screen.

Here they are:

 

It would be interesting if some Jeep enthusiasts owns these Jeeps today.