A ROAD legal tank that weighs 8.7 tonnes and can be operated in water is available to buy from eBay.
A former British Army CVRT FV106 Samson tank designed for recovering tanks could be the vehicle of choice for a driver looking for that little bit extra security – with bidding for the monstrous motor set to end by May.
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The Samson, which saw its final design enter production in 1978, comes in at 16.4 foot long, or just under five metres, with a hull of all-welded aluminium and enough room for a crew of three.
Typically, the tank’s three-man crew would be a commander, driver and crew member that operates its 228m winch rope with a lifting configuration able to recover up to 12 tonnes of vehicle.
What’s more, this Samson model can be fitted with a flotation layer and propeller kit which means it can also operate in water.
And for the worst case scenario, it can even be equipped with a full Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) protection unit.
British Army CVRT FV106 Samson tank
Engine: Jaguar 4.2 litre petrol
Number built: 136
Mass: 8.7 tonnes
Length: 5 m
Width: 2.4 m
Height: 2.8 m
Crew: Commander, driver and crew
When operational, the tank would have been armed with eight smoke cannons and one L7 general-purpose machine gun – but it’s likely these have been disabled by the MOD since the vehicle was decommissioned.
The listing notes that this tank is UK registered and road legal, as well as being fully functional to drive, while highlighting the machine’s Jaguar petrol engine, tank recovery winch and land anchor.
Bidding ends on May 24, with the price tag at £45,000.
This comes months after protestors were filmed driving a tank through central London to avoid ULEZ charges.
A group decided to demonstrate the absurdity of the emissions-based charge by driving a Abbot Self-Propelled Gun through a selection of tourist hotspots.
Funnily enough, the stunk was completely legal, as the tank was built in 1965 – qualifying it for “historic” classification.
Elsewhere, an Army Land Rover that saw combat in the Middle East goes up for sale at same price as a Volvo – and comes with a weapons mount.
