Another Batch of Military Vehicles

The Littlefield Collection

Offered by Auctions America | Portola Valley, California | July 11-12, 2014


 1942 Cadillac M5 Stuart

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Labeling this as a Cadillac might be a little misleading, but Cadillac did build it – so why shouldn’t they get the credit? The M5 was a version of the M3 Stuart – one of the most popular light tanks of the Second World War. General Motors was behind it and the M5 was basically an M3 with upgraded armor.

In all, 2,074 M5s were built – only 1,470 were built by Cadillac in Michigan. This tank has been given a new engine and fresh restoration. It runs and drives wonderfully and is usable. The engines are twin 8-cylinders from Cadillac making a combined output of 220 horsepower. It can do 36 mph and be yours for $100,00-$150,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $310,500.


ca.1975 Panhard M3

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Panhard is one of the oldest automobile companies in the world. While they stopped building road cars long ago, military vehicle manufacture has continued to this today. The M3 is an armored personnel carrier that went into production for the French military in 1971. Only 1,200 were built by the end of production in 1986.

This one is in good condition and runs and drives. The engine is a 90 horsepower Panhard four. It’s pretty incredible that this 6-ton vehicle can do 56 mph. You can buy it for between $50,000-$75,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $39,100.


1943 International M5 Half-Track

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Apparently, it’s the day of “vehicles that begin with “M” and are followed by a number”. The M5 Half-Track is very similar to the M3 Half-Track (of which we’ve featured an example). The M5 was built by the International Harvester Corporation and had heavier armor than the M3 and a different engine – in this case, a 7.4-liter engine. But this particular vehicle was used by Israel after the war and they replaced the engine with the current six-cylinder GM diesel making 212 horsepower.

Only 4,625 M5s were built between 1942 and 1943. Israel used them into the mid-1980s. You can buy this driving example for $35,000-$45,000. Read more here.

Update: Sold $31,625.


1952 Royal Ordinance Factory FV 214 Conqueror Mk II

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The FV 214 Conqueror was a heavy tank from the U.K. that was built between 1949 and 1959. This tank was built as a variant of the Conqueror known as the Caernarvon (no, don’t ask me how to pronounce that). Only 22 of these were built.

The engine is a monstrous 860 horsepower 27-liter Rolls-Royce V-12. After doing some testing with this particular tank in Libya, it was decided that it would be re-built as an FV 214 Conqueror Mk II in 1958. Conquerors remained in service until 1966. What’s awesome about this tank is that everything still works and you have to be qualified in order to buy it. It’ll cost you $150,000-$200,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $287,500


ca.1958 GAZ BTR-40

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The BTR-40 was a Soviet armored personnel carrier built by GAZ between 1950 and 1960. It was based on the GAZ-63 truck. This one has been restored and wears Israeli colors. The BTR-40 was in service until the 1980s in the USSR as well as China and they were poorly protected from all but the lightest artillery. And they weren’t amphibious.

The engine is an 80 horsepower six-cylinder and it has a top speed of 50 mph. About 8,500 were built. This one should sell for between $50,000-$60,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $58,650.

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