Photos! 10 Military Vehicles Built For War But Freely Sold To Ugandans

By Our Reporter

There have been a lot of really cool military vehicles over the years that have captured our imaginations. We all know about the Willys Jeep, the M1 Abrams tank, the M4 Sherman tank and the “Deuce and a Half” GMC CCKW to name just a few. Military vehicles often get such an iconic status that many people try to buy them for themselves, but they do come with their own set of drawbacks. They’re often much less comfortable than civilian vehicles and come with a lot of compromises. They can also be more difficult to fix when things go wrong, as it can be a bit of a pain to get replacement parts for them.

Military vehicles being a bit of a specialist thing when it comes to ownership shouldn’t put you off having something with that military pedigree, though. There are quite a few cars and trucks out there that were built for war but sold to civilians. Some of them have their military roots proudly on show. With others, though, you might not realise that they can trace their development back to vehicles originally designed for the battlefield.

This pickup was the first mass-produced 4×4, derived from Dodge’s military vehicles used in WWII.

10Hummer H1

You can’t talk about cars derived from military vehicles without mentioning the Hummer H1. This is the original Hummer, and it is just a slightly nicer military vehicle. The Hummer H1 is very wide (it was designed to be able to follow in the tracks of tanks), has big and chunky off-road tires, and everything on it is built to take a lot of punishment. It also has some features you’d typically only find on a specialist military vehicle. This includes a central tire inflation system, which allows you to change the tire pressures from inside the cabin.

The Hummer H1 went through multiple powertrain options during its lifespan. Originally, you could get the H1 with a 5.7-liter small block V8 petrol or with multiple versions of the Detroit diesel V8. This included a 6.2-liter, a 6.5-liter, and a 6.5-liter turbocharged version. When the H1 was re-engineered into the H1 Alpha for 2006, the engine choice changed to the 6.6-liter Duramax diesel. The H1 Alphas are the most sought-after H1s these days, as many believe the Duramax is the best engine it ever came with.

The Hummer was never supposed to have a civilian version. It ended up getting one mainly because of one man asking General Motors if they would make a civilian model he could own. That man was Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he ended up becoming a significant figure in the Hummer brand as a result. Not only did he appear in advertisements for the car, but he was also actually in charge of the brand itself! He also personally owns multiple H1s. He sent one of those H1s to the Austrian company Kriesel Electric in the 2010s, which fitted it with a new fully-electric powertrain.

The Hummer H1 is mainly remembered as a symbol of the gross excesses of the ’90s and ’00s. But, it’s still an incredibly cool car that we got as a result of something that was developed for the military.

9Toyota Mega Cruiser

America wasn’t the only place where you could buy a car that was essentially a lightly civilized military vehicle. Japan had its own version of the Hummer H1, and in many ways it’s even cooler! The Toyota Mega Cruiser was designed for the same kind of military uses as the Hummer H1. It even looks quite similar to the Hummer! The Mega Cruiser is powered by a 4.1-liter inline-4 turbodiesel mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission with a two-speed transfer case. The civilian version of the Mega Cruiser had two different roof heights, with the higher roof height being an optional extra. It could come with a central tire inflation system like the Hummer H1 too, but unlike the Hummer, it was an optional extra.

In many ways, this really is the JDM equivalent of the Hummer H1. It doesn’t have the same reputation for excess as the Hummer H1, though. That could work to your advantage, as nobody will judge you that much for driving one!

8Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Many of us may know the Mercedes-Benz G-Class (also known as the G-Wagen) as a blingy and boxy SUV for the rich and famous. While that’s not inaccurate, it is incredibly far removed from the G-Class’s origins. This car was originally built to be a military vehicle, and from suggestions from a very important client to boot! The G-Class’s origins came from a conversation Mercedes-Benz had with the Shah of Iran.

Those early militaristic G-Wagens weren’t luxurious at all and were primarily built for toughness and off-road capability. It had a more traditional body on frame construction, had specialist off-road features (including three locking differentials), and came in a number of body styles to suit whatever it needed to be used for. This included 3 and 5-door passenger variants (in long and short wheelbase forms), 3- and 5-door commercial van variants (also in long and short wheelbase forms), a 2-door pickup truck and more specialized builds such as ambulances. There was also a 2-door convertible version based on the short-wheelbase chassis.

Along with its huge variety of body styles, the early G-Class had a wide variety of engines. This ranged from 2-liter inline-4 to 2.8-liter inline-6 petrol engines, as well as a 2.4-liter inline-4, 2.5-liter inline-5, and 3.0-liter inline-6 diesel. Later, more luxurious civilian versions gained V8 petrol engines, and there were even a couple of models powered by V12s. There’s also been a fully-electric version available since 2024. This version is powered by 4 electric motors, producing 579 hp and 859 lb-ft of torque. The 4 motor drivetrain makes it incredibly capable off road, and allows it to perform a party trick where it can turn in place like a tank.

7Volkswagen Thing

There aren’t many cars out there that are quirkier than the Volkswagen Thing. It’s small, boxy, and very basic, running off Beetle running gear. But, beneath that quirky exterior is a serious military vehicle. Originally known as the Kurierwagen, this car was developed during the 1960s and was supposed to be a light utility vehicle for the West German military. Its running gear was taken from the Volkswagen Beetle. This meant it had a 1.5 or 1.6-liter flat-4, a 4-speed manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. While that won’t win you any races, it won’t be too underpowered either, thanks to the Thing being fairly light. Despite its military roots, the Volkswagen Thing definitely wouldn’t be able to help you out in the heat of battle, but you’ll probably feel pretty cool driving one nevertheless.

The Jeep Wrangler is possibly one of the most recognisable 4x4s of all time. Everyone spots that classic grille and boxy styling cues from a mile away. Those looks aren’t just a design statement, either. They date back to the military vehicle the Wrangler can trace its origins from. Out of all the Jeep models, the Wrangler is the one with the most direct connection to the original Willys Jeep from the Second World War. Jeep has even made a special edition Wrangler recently that’s supposed to look like the original Willys Jeep as much as possible. Unlike the original Jeep’s 2.2-liter “Go Devil” inline-4 powerplant, this special edition Wrangler is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 mated to an electric motor.

The Jeep Wrangler has been a cornerstone of the Jeep lineup for decades for a good reason. It’s got the same kind of off-road capability as the original Willys Jeep, and it’s got the same iconic looks.

5Dodge Power Wagon

Many of these trucks were just used as regular haulers. But, they could also be used as wreckers, fire trucks, and ambulance, to name just a few different applications. It initially came with a 3.8-liter flathead inline-6, which drove the wheels through a 4-speed manual transmission with a 2-speed transfer case. The transfer case allowed it to have part-time all-wheel drive and a low ratio mode, making the Power Wagon a lot more capable in the rough stuff. The powertrain also had a power take-off function, which allowed the Power Wagon to run auxiliary equipment like a tractor can.

The Dodge Power Wagon’s almost dieselpunk aesthetics have made it age well. Couple that with the ruggedness of its military-derived mechanicals, and it’s a truck that’s still cool and enjoyable today.

4Nissan Patrol

The Nissan Patrol is a car you’ll probably know as a common or garden SUV. There are loads of them all over the world. They’re especially a favorite in the Middle East, where many of them are used as platforms for some of the craziest off-road builds you’ll ever see. But, what you may not know is that the Patrol’s origins are in a military vehicle. The first-generation Patrol was launched in 1951 and looks quite like a Willys Jeep. In fact, it’s very similarly related to that original Jeep, and could be used for a lot of the same roles! The early versions had a 3.7-liter engine from a Nissan bus that produced around 74 hp, but was then upgraded to a 103-hp 4-liter engine after 1955. It didn’t start looking like the Patrol we know today until the 3rd generation came out in the 1980s.

The Nissan Patrol has been a strong competitor to the Toyota Land Cruiser in the market of SUVs that can go anywhere and are as solid as a rock when it comes to dependability. When you know that the Patrol’s origins are with a military vehicle, it’s really not surprising why that’s the case! It’s kept that military-spec toughness right up until the present day, and we’re all the more thankful for it.

3Land Rover Defender

There’s a fair argument to be made that the classic Land Rover Defender is the most recognisable SUV of all time. It had a continuous production run of 67 years, using the Defender name from 1990 until the end of its production in 2016. There’s a fair chance that it was the first car many people ever got to see as well, due to how often it was used in expeditions to remote areas that don’t have proper roads. The Defender’s traces its roots back to the very first Land Rover model ever built, which was a British equivalent of the Willys Jeep. It was small, light, powered by detuned Rover engines, and also featured a power takeoff system like a tractor. The Defender kept its connection to the military all those years later, with certain versions of it seeing extensive use with armies around the world. These military defenders were used for all sorts of different roles, ranging from regular patrol vehicles to hunting out IEDs.

The original Defender had a large variety of engine options across its life. This included inline-4 Ford Duratorq diesel engines, Land Rover’s own TDI inline-4 and TD5 inline-5 diesels, the 3.9-liter Rover V8, and the 5.0-liter supercharged Jaguar V8. South African customers could also get the Defender with the 2.8-liter BMW inline-6 engine. It was also available in multiple body styles (including a 2-door single cab and 4-door double cab pickup truck) and in short and long-wheelbase configurations.

Out of all the civilian vehicles you can get that have military roots, the original Land Rover Defender is definitely one of the most beloved and iconic. It does have a lot of flaws, but it also has a very strong community around it that love it to pieces. If you own one of these, it’s likely that you’ll pick up new Land Rover friends everywhere you go.

2Lamborghini LM002

The Lamborghini LM002 is one of the automotive industry’s greatest oddities. It’s a very utilitarian-looking off-roader, built by a company that specialised in exotic sports cars and supercars. How come Lamborghini seemingly had a weird rush of blood to the head and decided to make an SUV in the mid-1980s? Well, the LM002 is the result of Lamborghini trying to develop a military vehicle.

In 1977, Lamborghini unveiled a prototype 4×4 called the Cheetah. It was intended for people who worked in oil exploration and oil production, and had a mid-mounted 5.9-liter Chrysler V8 engine. That developed into the LM001 prototype, which had a rear-mounted AMC V8 that was the same size as the Cheetah’s Chrysler powerplant. The LM001’s rear-mounted engine caused a lot of handling problems, so the project was quickly abandoned in favour of a new car with a front-mounted engine. That ended up becoming the LM002.

Instead of an American V8, the LM002 typically had the 5.2-liter V12 from the Lamborghini Countach. For customers who wanted more power, Lamborghini would fit a 7.2-liter marine V12 that was usually used in offshore powerboats. It also had custom-made Pirelli Scorpion tires that had run-flat capability and were offered in two different tread types (one for general use and another that was specifically designed for sand). It was also given a lot of creature comforts as part of its transition to a civilian vehicle. This included air conditioning, power windows, tinted windows, and full leather trim.

The Lamborghini LM002 is definitely a very odd car. But, it’s also very cool! Having a Lamborghini SUV may be fairly normal now, but back when the LM002 was in production it was a statement that you were cooler than pretty much anyone else.

1Austin Mini Moke

Out of all the cars on this list, the Austin Mini Moke might be the one you’re most surprised by. The tiny, cutsey Moke might be the last car you think of as something that was originally designed for the military. But, it was! The Mini Moke’s super-lightweight design stemmed from an attempt to make something that could be reliably air-dropped out of the back of a military transport plane. That requirement was a huge part of why the Moke is such a light and zippy vehicle – when you’re going to be carrying something up in a plane and dropping it from there, you want it to be as light as possible.

While the original Mini Moke is long gone, you can now get a brand-new, fully electric version. These new versions of the Moke have all the same charm as the Austin-built original, but with up-to-date (and much more environmentally-friendly!) internals. Regardless of whether you get a new or a classic Moke, they’re still very cool cars that just happen to have their roots in something designed for the battlefield.