Military Vehicle Market
Nigel Hay’s round-up of what’s hot in the market at the moment
The new year kicked off with a much higher number of vehicles coming onto the market than we have ever seen in a similar period. Maybe it’s pre-Brexit but it’s more likely to be pre- Normandy.
Having just sold a superb 1945 Willys MB, specialist restorers Universal Jeep Parts unveiled its Canadian contract Willys MB Slat Grille Jeep. Another high-end restoration for the serious collector, this rare model came onto the market at £31,950.
We have had a lot of quick sales of Jeeps. The better wartime Jeeps are consistently topping £20,000 at the moment but thankfully we have had a few projects this month from £7,000 upwards. The Hotchkiss prices are running around 20 per cent less than the pure wartime models – which makes sense.
Not to be outdone, the armour fraternity offered a relatively rare M39 armoured utility vehicle. Based on the M18 Hellcat, of the 640 made, this M39 is one of only 10 produced as a command and reconnaissance version - the T41E1.
Priced at a staggering £395,000 it won’t be an easy sell. Lovely as it is, it isn’t a tank and is certainly not every armour-buyers first choice. Restored to a very high …
