HIZI NDIZO GARI MPYA ZA KIVITA ZILIZOTOKA NA KUINGIA SOKONI MWAKA HUU!!

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In 1944, Willys set about creating a civilian version of the US Army’s quarter-ton jeep. The first model available to the car-buying public, the CJ-2A (CJ-1 and CJ-2 were prototype designations), went on sale in July 1945, and its success would usher in other military-to-civilian transitions, notably Land Rover’s Series 1 (1948), Volkswagen’s Type 181 “Thing” (1968) and General Motors’ Hummer H1 (1992). These vehicles’ heroic reputation and all-conquering capability have cemented their appeal among all manner of outdoors enthusiasts, hip-hop personalities and playboy despots. In their spirit, we present a quintet of military trucks a civilian can buy – sans weaponry – along with a look at a vehicle that is gunning to become the next US military truck (and to someday spawn a Schwarzenegger-calibre civilian version of its own). (Photo: Supacat LRV 400, courtesy of Supacat Limited)
A version of this story originally appeared on BBC Autos in October 2013.