Chrysler Defense HMMWV Prototype

[Cmdr Qualude]

 

[inksane]

thats pretty sweet looking

 

[Cmdr Qualude]

It was built back in 1979 for the HMMWV contract. It's my understanding that there were nine protype vehicles submitted. 3 from AM General 3 From Teledyne and 3 from Chrysler defense. The door tag says EMT PRO PV1 I'm assuming that means experimental military transport Prototype Prototype vehicle 1

 

[jw4x4]

Looks like a cheap, cheesy movie prop. Scabbed together on an early HMMWV frame. Front end looks like it came from a Polaris Sportsman. Mirrors from JC Whitney. And the flames????? Not impressed in the least. Looks aside, it would be a very capable off roader.

 

[jeremymx26]

Looks like a cheap, cheesy movie prop. Scabbed together on an early HMMWV frame. Front end looks like it came from a Polaris Sportsman. Mirrors from JC Whitney. And the flames????? Not impressed in the least. Looks aside, it would be a very capable off roader.

Agreed but interesting non the less.

 

[NDT]

EM= Expanded Mobility. Sorry guys this is legit. Supposed to have a Deutz engine in it, does it still?

 

[Cmdr Qualude]

Door tag...

 

[Cmdr Qualude]

Nope it came with a Chrysler 360 gasoline v8 I did hear that the other two have the diesel but I've never been able to verify that. If you look at the cowling on the hood you can see that it is offset. I believe that this was done to accommodate the diesel engine. Mine is original it never had the diesel.

 

[Adrian A]

Certainly interesting from a historical perspective. Do you have paper work to trace its lineage? That would make the value of your rig much higher. It would be good to have if you ever sell it.

 

[sigo]

So we know it was a prototype, but what's the story of it's life beyond that? Any idea?

 

[quickfarms]

Neat vehicle. A lot of early design prototypes look cheesy

 

[Cmdr Qualude]

Okay my understanding goes as this. In 1978 the military put out a request for a new type of vehicle to replace the Jeep. Aka the HMMWV There were three bidders on contract. AM General, Teledyne, and Chrysler defense. From those 3 bidders they each developed 3 test vehicles each. Those 9 vehicles were submitted to the military for testing. And you all know the rest. AM General won the bid. There were certain characteristics that had to be met and I forget what they were. But one was that they had to be automatic. 2 was that they had to ford a specific amount of water Depth. And that they could haul a certain amount of payload weight. Like I said this was Chrysler defense.s submission for the HMMWV.

 

[FASTNOVA]

That thing is cool looking. Make sure to bring it to the Rally so we can take a better look at it. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?111822-2013-SoCal-Fall-Rally

 

[jw4x4]

EM= Expanded Mobility. Sorry guys this is legit. Supposed to have a Deutz engine in it, does it still?

I never doubted it was legit. Just commenting on its appearance. A rare bird indeed and definitely valuable.

 

[dilvoy]

Yeah,that's a need item. Take good care of it.

 

[Triple C]

Cool, how did you come to own it?

 

[Cmdr Qualude]

I always get a little freaked out talking about how I got it. As you all know it was pretty much impossible to get the original hmmwv back in the day. You could buy em in pieces from the salvage yards. And put them back together but the military would never sell a whole one. I've done a lot of research on it and because it was never accepted by the military the rules were different for prototypes. The story goes it was in Rancho Cucamonga at Chrysler defense. Hughes missile systems needed a vehicle to test their missile carriers out on the range for durability. Chrysler gave the vehicle to them and then went out of business. Hughes missile systems had the vehicle for quite a few years. They finally sold it to a gentleman in Riverside Calif. I spotted him driving vehicles down the road And followed him home. It took about 4 years of persuading him to sell it to me But he finally did. I've had it now for about 15 years or so. You could not even imagine the **** I went through Trying to get it registered through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Not the registration itself but the smog.

 

[Adrian A]

Very cool

 

[Triple C]

I always get a little freaked out talking about how I got it. As you all know it was pretty much impossible to get the original hmmwv back in the day. You could buy em in pieces from the salvage yards. And put them back together but the military would never sell a whole one. I've done a lot of research on it and because it was never accepted by the military the rules were different for prototypes. The story goes it was in Rancho Cucamonga at Chrysler defense. Hughes missile systems needed a vehicle to test their missile carriers out on the range for durability. Chrysler gave the vehicle to them and then went out of business. Hughes missile systems had the vehicle for quite a few years. They finally sold it to a gentleman in Riverside Calif. I spotted him driving vehicles down the road And followed him home. It took about 4 years of persuading him to sell it to me But he finally did. I've had it now for about 15 years or so. You could not even imagine the **** I went through Trying to get it registered through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Not the registration itself but the smog.[/QUOTE

I am surprised a military museum hasn't tried to talk you out of it, a lot of history there and a very rare vehicle. Thanks for sharing the pics and story.

 

[Fishtail]

I remember reading in an old back issue of Military Vehicles Magazine someone had one of the AM General prototypes. There's a four foot stack of back issues, so I can't access it readily now.

Scott