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A VIP armored car is a civilian vehicle with a reinforced structure that is designed to protect its occupants from assaults, bullets and blasts. Armored cars are typically manufactured with bulletproof glass and layers of armor plating, often with a variety of other defensive mechanisms and features to aid the individuals inside. Unlike military armored vehicles, a civilian armored car is designed to be inconspicuous and similar to its factory version.
Armored cars are used internationally and often used to protect high-profile individuals such as heads of state, political figures,
"Die Vereinigung der Prüfstellen für angriffshemmende Materialien und Konstruktionen"
(in German) - VPAM have a number of standards that relate to non-military armored vehicles, they are: ** APR 2006 - These are the general test guidelines for armored products. ** PM 2007 - This covers the materials used. ** BRV 1999 and 2009 - This certification indicates that the whole vehicle has been tested instead of just the materials used. ** ERV 2010 - Blast protection certification. * Vehicle Security Advisory Group (VASG) - A British Standard for armored car construction and testing. * National Institute for Justice (NIJ) - The American National Institute of Justice certification, covers body armor as well as vehicles and covers 5 levels.
Armoured vehicles Automotive terminology
A VIP armored car is a civilian vehicle with a reinforced structure that is designed to protect its occupants from assaults, bullets and blasts. Armored cars are typically manufactured with bulletproof glass and layers of armor plating, often with a variety of other defensive mechanisms and features to aid the individuals inside. Unlike military armored vehicles, a civilian armored car is designed to be inconspicuous and similar to its factory version.
Armored cars are used internationally and often used to protect high-profile individuals such as heads of state, political figures, businessperson
A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...
s, VIPs
A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots.
Examples in ...
, and sometimes celebrities. They may also be used by governmental law enforcement agencies as well as private military contractors. Chicago mobster Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
reportedly owned an armored 1928 Cadillac
The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
341A.
Base vehicles
Most civilian armored cars are created by fitting aftermarket upgrades to standard production cars. Several car manufacturers produce armored car models from the factory, such as the Audi Security Vehicles (A6 and A8 models), Lincoln Town Car BPS, Hyundai Equus, BMW Security series (3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series and X5 models), the Mercedes Benz Guard vehicles (E, ML, GL, G & S Class). Some civilian armored cars may be one-off unique vehicles with no standard equivalent, such as the current Presidential state car of the USA which is built on a medium-duty truck platform styled like a Cadillac.
Certification
There are a variety of armoring standards which relate to non-military armored vehicles, the most common are: * Ballistics Rating (BR): This is a European standard which certifies the materials used both transparent (BR - DIN EN 1063) and opaque (FB - DIN EN 1522/23), general guidelines on vehicle construction and covers 3 levels from 2 to 7 . This is usually grouped under a single definition of B, e.g. B6 * Vereinigung der Prüfstellen für angriffshemmende Materialien und Konstruktionen (VPAM)(in German) - VPAM have a number of standards that relate to non-military armored vehicles, they are: ** APR 2006 - These are the general test guidelines for armored products. ** PM 2007 - This covers the materials used. ** BRV 1999 and 2009 - This certification indicates that the whole vehicle has been tested instead of just the materials used. ** ERV 2010 - Blast protection certification. * Vehicle Security Advisory Group (VASG) - A British Standard for armored car construction and testing. * National Institute for Justice (NIJ) - The American National Institute of Justice certification, covers body armor as well as vehicles and covers 5 levels.
See also
* Non-military armored vehicle * Official state car * Presidential state car (Russia) * Presidential state car (United States)References
{{reflist, 2Armoured vehicles Automotive terminology