Man shells out £14k on army tank for supermarket run

Daily Mail ^ | 9th October 2006

[george76]

Driver Stephen Ellison keeps bringing traffic grinding to a halt - by going to town in a 7.5 tonne tank.

The father of one has left other motorists stunned after shelling out £14,000 on a 1974 Sabre light reconnaissance tank.

Now 42-year old Stephen uses the military vehicle instead of a car for shopping trips - zooming round at up to 40mph near his home in Winsford, Cheshire, drawing astonished looks from fellow motorists and passers-by.

"Young and old alike are fascinated with it," said Stephen, a former Territorial Army soldier. "It really unites people.

"The tank's 30mm gun is deactivated and...the rubber tracks it has fitted to protect the road.

"But the tank's covered through a classic military vehicle insurance policy, it's taxed at £165 a year, it's MOT exempt and runs on unleaded fuel. But costs about £300 to fill the tank.

"...nothing quite like my tank which has a 4.2litre engine."

"The tank, which cost £500,000 brand new, was used in Kosovo which is quite different from its use nowadays," said Stephen, who is a road breakdown mechanic for a private firm.

"But I love it and it really brings people out in smiles. I get lots of thumbs up and people beeping at me.

"I take the tank to military shows to show it off, but I am more than happy when I'm in the street if people come over for a look or a sit inside.

"Kids love it. People never get a chance to touch a fast car like a Ferrari and the tank brings out the same thrill for people.

"One lad asked me the other day if I would take him and his girlfriend to the school prom in it...

if it gets kids interested in the military, that's great.

[scott7278]

Yeah, you start yelling and all of the sudden the gun swings around...

[scott7278]

I'd put a white "BANG" flag in the barrel, just for fun.

[decal]

I'll wager the guy who issues the annual inspection stickers doesn't give him much flak, either...

[Captainpaintball]

I'd drive it through the mooselimb neighborhoods and blast heavy metal music while tossing out bags of pork rinds to the children. Yes, I am a jerk.

[proud_yank]

Tell them you'll give them a running start at a light, then point the barrel in their direction!

That would be too much fun to own.

[decal]

"I'd drive it through the mooselimb neighborhoods and blast heavy metal music.."

Or country music while shooting paintballs a la Oddball in "Kelly's Heroes."

[george76]

Give them a hundred yard head start...

[proud_yank]

ROFLOL!

Personally, I'd opt for Charlie Daniels :-)

[proud_yank]

LOL The possibilities are ENDLESS!

I think for shites-n-giggles, I'd have to put a 'Save the Earth' or 'Go Vegan' sticker on it.

[zencat]

I think for shites-n-giggles, I'd have to put a 'Save the Earth' or 'Go Vegan' sticker on it.

"My other car is a M1A2".

[perfect stranger]

The title is, "Man shells out £14k on army tank for supermarket run".

Meanwhile there's this quote from him in the article

I've never taken it to the supermarket

[proud_yank]

LOL! It could also give a more literal meaning to the classic 'Keep honking, I'm reloading'.

[Centurion2000]

I think for shites-n-giggles, I'd have to put a 'Save the Earth' or 'Go Vegan' sticker on it.

Heck no ... put this on it ! :)

THEN watch their heads explode.

[ASOC]

I'll bet nobody cuts him off on the roundabout...

I hung out with a kid in high scholl that had a jeep and a M-20 Grayhound variant. Too cool driving up and down the local 'strip' - made by fomoco, but it still seemed to run fine.

I envy his fun.

[verum ago]

"Stephen had a military assault boat when I met him but he got rid of it. Then he said one day 'I want to buy a tank' and I said 'Ok, love, it's up to you.'

A real feel good story here.

She probably just thought (uh huh, yeah right...)

[verum ago]

He should repaint it...you know, a good, solid metallic color, some racing stripes, flames perhaps...

[proud_yank]

LOL! I went to school at Michigan Tech, which was largely an engineering/sciences school. We had a firing range in our student's union building, and the 4x4 club I think was the largest school club. That was probably one of the most popular stickers there.

I saw another one here in AK a couple days ago:

I'm PRO-CHOICE. I choose to hunt, fish, trap, wear fur, and eat meat.

I had a vegan in the car (well, SUV w/leather) with me when we saw that one. She even said to me, 'Oh look, there goes a liberal!! (giggles) She was sadly disappointed.

Man, the more I think about it, I think I really want to get a small tank some day. Make a nice hunting vehicle!

[Jeff Chandler]

I want a light reconnaissance tank.

[Sarajevo]

1974 Sabre light reconnaissance tank

I always knew this vehicle as a Scimitar. Do the British have a different name for it?

[AngloSaxonChristian]

'I always knew this vehicle as a Scimitar. Do the British have a different name for it?'

The Sabre and Scimitar are very similar - the Sabre is actually the turret of a Fox combat vehicle mounted on a Scimitar chassis - it still has the Rarden 30mm cannon, but has a 7.62mm chain gun mounted in place of the GPMG on the Scim.

http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/av/av_sab.htm

Anyone who has travelled near the Bovington tank traning grounds will be familiar with these. One minute you are pootling along a quiet Dorset country road and the next minute 4 of these burst out of the hedge and zoom across the road without looking or stopping!