Tanks. These hard-nosed machines are probably the single vehicle that embodies war more than any other creation on Earth. Tanks are inherently terrifying. They are not only an icon of war but also of an unstoppable destructive force. Certainly, you can’t just buy a tank. Wait, can you really just own a tank? Well, this one is for sale, so….

Can you buy a tank? 

Yes. You can buy a tank. I actually piloted one a few years back. It was as intimidating to drive as it was to look at. Like the one I drove, the rule for owning a tank is that all armaments must be completely disabled. The tanks that civilians are allowed to buy are typically people carriers and not combat tanks. 

Here is a tank you can buy right now

As seen on Silodrome, this is a GKN FV432 Armored Personnel Carrier, but the troops don’t have time for all that. For short, they just called it a FV432 APC. This particular APC was made by the British company GKN (Guest, Keen, and Nettlefolds). These were made in the early 1960s, and only approximately 3,000 units were made. There’s no telling how many are still lurking around. 

While this tank was a people mover, meaning its job was taking soldiers and equipment across hot fields and rough terrain. Even still, it was fitted with weaponry, which, of course, had to be removed before it could hit the market as military surplus.

This FV432 was produced in 1963. It weighs an enormous 15 tons. According to Silodrome, several engines were used, including a gas engine on the Mark 1, a Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel engine on the Mark 2, and a standard diesel engine on the Mark 3. This one has the supercharger Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel engine. The versatility of the multi-fuel engine makes this one the most desirable powerplant. 

What can you do with a tank? 

Well, for starters, you can load up ten of your closest friends, along with a pilot and commander (strange thing to do with friends), and go run through the woods or a mudhole or some other place far away from people. It turns out that the police don’t love seeing tanks roll through town. 

At the risk of sounding like a YouTube guy, the way things have been lately, one might get a bit of a sense of security having something like an APC tucked under a tarp in the backyard just in case the UFOs come or whatever else preppers are worried about. 

Is it legal to drive a tank? 

Believe it or not, some states will allow for tanks to be driven on public roads. For instance, in Uvalde, Texas, you can pay to drive and even shoot a tank. This is an extreme example, but the point is different states will allow for very different things. However, many more states will allow you to own and drive a tank on private property or even on public roads for special events like parades. 

If you want to pick up a tank of your own, you can pick this one up at The Market by Bonhams.