Ford M8 Greyhound Armored Car – lot 0124

Car Armored Light M8 (T22E2) ‘Beverly’ 

The most popular Armored car from WW-II recently nicely restored and in great condition

Details of vehicles active military service in WW-II are unknown however when this vehicle could talk it must be impressive!

After the 2nd World War quite a number of these armoured cars have been left by the American and Allied Forces in Europe and the Pacific theatre. This vehicle was released to the French army where it stayed in service till late sixties when it was stored.

In the seventies many armored vehicles which have been released by the French army. Many of them also have been torch cut before delivery.
However, this example, which was released in the same period, luckily remain uncut and was bought from the Army by the French collector. This collector, born just after the war (1946) owned many vehicles. In the late eighties this M8 was partly restored by him.

Early 2000 it was sold to Belgium where it was frequently used in shows and events.
In 2021 it was discovered by BAIV and was fully restored in an 8 months’ time frame. All systems were serviced, and it was released by the Dutch Authorities for a new road license.

This M8 will be delivered in great restored condition. Fully serviced and in good running order it will be ready for any event or parade for its new owner! Included in the purchase are:
• Dutch road licence (in case of export it will be released for export purposes),
• Set of manuals (reprint),
• Deactivation certificate for 37 mm gun,
• Webbing (turret top cover etc. as indicated on the pictures),
• Radio (non-working),
• Pioneer tools

We think this might be the best which you can buy on the current market.
What you buy is therefore not only a very a nice and unique vehicle but also a unique piece of living WW-II history.
Moreover, great fun (the best we drove so far) to drive and to own!

Markings:
The vehicle is marked as Unit 24 (2nd platoon 4th vehicle) of Company B of the 23rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized) of the 16th Armored Regiment as being active in Liberation of Pilsen
The 16th Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army in World War II. In its one and only combat operation, the 16th Armored Division liberated the city of Pilsen in western Czechoslovakia (modern Bohemia in the Czech Republic), an operation that influenced the landscape of post-war Europe.

Except the stars the markings are applied with stickers and can therefore be easily adapted to the wishes of the final buyer!

Rear fenders are included however not indicated on the pictures.

This M8 will be delivered in great restored condition. Fully serviced and in good running order it will be ready for any event or parade for its new owner! Included in the purchase are:
• Dutch road licence (in case of export it will be released for export purposes),
• Set of manuals (reprint),
• Deactivation certificate for 37 mm gun,
• Webbing (turret top cover etc. as indicated on the pictures),
• Radio (non-working),
• Pioneer tools

General

The M8 Light Armoured Car was produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II (WWII) and was a 6×6 armoured car. It was used by both U.S. and British troops all throughout the war and was known by the British as the “Greyhound”.

Since 1940, the main antitank, all-terrain fast vehicle in service with the US Army was the M6 GMC, a basic 6 wheels truck equipped with a 37mm installed on the rear bed, only protected by a frontal mask. The crew was exposed, and the M6 was lightly protected. Despite this, it remains in service until 1945.

But its deficiencies led the US Army ordnance department to launch the development of a new vehicle in July 1941, which would be a 6×6 with better off-road capabilities, entirely armoured, with the 37mm protected by a turret, and a better anti personal, close-combat armament, which included from the start a combination of a heavy .50 and a .30 calibre.

The glacis, sloped armour was designed to withstand 13mm heavy machine gun fire. Once the specifications were made public, Studebaker, Ford and Chrysler submitted their designs, named respectively T21, 22 and 23, all of them very similar in appearance.

 Production

After a thorough examination and many tests at Aberdeen which lasted until March 1942, the Ford T22E2 was chosen, hastily modified, mainly because of fast-delivery schedules. However, at this stage the M6 37mm was thought not anymore up to the task against the latest German tanks, therefore condemning its use as a tank-hunter. To not hold up the entire development of this model, the Ordnance department decided to shift production under the new denomination of “M8 Light Armoured Car”, an armoured reconnaissance vehicle which could fill the gap between the M3/M5 light tanks and the M3 scout Car.As no armoured car was produced for the US Army in large numbers before, delays while setting up the production dragged on until March 1943 one year after it was approved.Together with sub-contractors Ford delivered a total of 8,523 M8’s and 3,791 M20’s until the line was stopped in June 1945. This making it the most produced armoured car in history!

For this reason, and its affordable cost, the M8 began a long and successful post-war career.

Design

The M8 Greyhound was a 6×6 (which was eventually put into production from the T22E2, standardized version approved on May 19^th 1942, as the T22E1, a 4×4 was also tested but rejected), with an all-welded construction hull (although some external panels were riveted). Only the front wheel train was used for steering, the two others closed at the rear were fixed. These wheels had an armoured center and combat tires to prevent them from collapsing in combat.

The driver positioned on the left, while the radio operator sat on the right, used a standard steering wheel. They had a protruding compartment with two-pieces folding armoured panels and narrow sights. The turret housed both the commander and gunner, and was open-top, although shutters and hatch covers could be closed and small protectoscopes then used for peripheral vision.

 The M6 main gun was aimed with a M70D telescopic sight. It received 80 rounds when operating a single radio, but often to make room for a second one, this was reduced to the only 16 stored into the turret. For this reason, often additional racks were mounted.

The coaxial cal.30 machine gun was fed by 1,500 rounds, and this was completed by a provision of 16 hand grenades, four smoke pots M1/M2, 6 land-mines (AT or HE) mounted externally and M1 Carbines for the crew self-defense.

 The armour was sloped, including a frontal glacis which was 19mm strong -the slope configuration giving extra thickness- but the weakest part was the floor (only 3mm – 0.12in), which was unable to resist a mine blast, and posed in action a serious threat for their crews.

 The engine, the reliable gasoline Hercules Model JXD 6 in-line of 320 cu.in gave an average of 48 km/h off-road and 90 km/h on roads. Consumption was 7.5 mpg. With 59 gallons it allowed a comfortable 640 km range.

The engine was covered by compartment pans which blew towards the rear fixations and mechanical parts were also carefully tailored for silent operations. Therefore, the Recon units of the third army were nicknamed by the Germans “Patton’s ghosts”!!

 A powerful radio set was mounted due to the nature of the vehicle, at first a SCR506, then 508, 510, 608, and 610 models, all long range. They were operated from the inside and served for direct contact with the HQ, or with other units as a command car, or relaying information’s on more distant theatres.
The wheels were protected by removable sand shields, the rear being winged to be folded and operate tire chains in snowy conditions. Because of the cramped interior, many hooks and other fixations were included to the turret and hull, and most personal equipment was mounted externally on the front and rear fenders and mudguards.

Haversacks, tooling, cables, but later in practice during combat, sandbags for extra protection were normal accessories.

The rear hull panel comprised a pintle for towing a trailer or a light gun, the mud guards housed a removable set of blackout lights, and the central part, sloped inwards, received racks for three mines or two ammunition boxes, or jerry cans, and was protected by a removable protective panel, rarely mounted in practice.

 M8 variants

Due the production by main contractor Ford, the entire series was homogeneous, although differing by having protection panels and sand shields mounted or not, and variants in the shape of their superior gun mount, over the turret. During the production of the M8 in total 1,512 changes have been implemented. Early models had their 50-calibre machine gun placed just behind the main turret on a pintle mount, which was operated from outside of the vehicle, as contemporary tanks. Later, a new ring model was fixed over the turret, raising the position of the Cal.50, and now allowing to fire from inside. This ring mount provided a far better traverse and angle for AA fire, but also raised concerns about stability. Several sub variants of these mounts existed, and nearly all were fixed during the operations, as they were non-factory standard.

 Another detail was the steel gas tank replaced by a rubber one, and correction of several mechanical issues, which greatly improved its reliability. Next to this also 2 prototypes were derived; the M8E1 to test new suspensions in 1943, and the T69 MGMC (late 1943) to test the conversion into an anti-aircraft light armoured vehicle bearing a quad Maxton mount (4 x 50. cal. Mgs). Both models never entered production.

The M20 Utility Car

This was the main derivative of the Greyhound, also developed and built by Ford, as a command-and-control car, devoid of any turret. Its only armament comprised a lowered ring mounting a 0.50 cal. heavy Mg, and stored weapons included a Bazooka. It was open-top, roomier, and equipped with one or two long range radios. It was also lighter and faster and served as APC during the war. In all, Ford delivered 3791 “M20 Scout Cars” from July 1943 till June 1945 from which many also have been exported under lend-lease.

 The M8 in operation

The M8 Greyhound was thought to be far more capable as a fighting machine than the M3 Scout Car and Half-tracks in service. Its overall reliability, sturdiness, speed, and long range, stealthiest in operations, proved tremendous which compensates for other drawbacks, namely the unprotected floor which was generally covered with sandbags by the crew, and lightly armoured rear, turret, and flanks, which required additional sandbags added to the usual amount of various exterior equipment which were carried on every mission.

 Its main armament was efficient against German light vehicles and armoured cars like the SdKfz 232. Although not resisting armour-piercing 20 mm shells it was no match for the heavier calibers. Many have been used during the liberation of Europe but also many of them were shifted in the Pacific theatre late 1944, soldiering in the Philippines and Okinawa, where they even reverted as tank-hunters.

Around 1,000 were also sent through lend-lease to the British, Free French, and Brazilian forces. They served long after the war with these two countries. French M8’s served during the Indochina and the Algerian war as well.

After 1946, most of them served with various NATO armies and surplus Greyhounds were bought by many third world countries, where they were seen as cheaper and more reliable than tanks.

No less than 48 countries operated the Greyhound during the cold war, some with many modifications, like the Brazilian CRR Brasileiro (1968), the Greek M8 (Diesel) in the seventies-eighties, the French modified M8 with Panhard H-90 turret, and the Columbian M8 TOW antitank and modernized AM8 for anti-guerrilla warfare.

Lot-124-TT-Ford-M8-Rev-2.0

Brochure:Lot 124 T&T Ford M8 Rev 2.0