Armored car (valuables)

For other uses, see Armored car (disambiguation).

Prosegur Armored car in Barcelona

Another armored Prosegur car. This photo was taken on Gran Canaria.

A common meaning of armored car (or armored cash transport car, security van) is as an armored van or truck, used in transporting valuables, such as large quantities of money (especially for banks or retail companies). The armored car is a multifunctional vehicle designed to protect and ensure the well being of the transported individuals and/or contents. The armored car is completely bullet proof and can withstand extreme degrees of heat. The car is mostly utilized by the military, but many companies such as; Mercedes, Lexus, Toyota, Cadillac, and BMW, have created armored cars for civilian use, usually to protect valuables.

History

The idea of the armored vehicle dates back to Leonardo De Vinci’s sketches of an armored war vehicle in 1485. It consisted of a circular platform on four wheels with light cannons arranged facing out. Unfortunately this designed proved to be flawed. Among the first armored cars built was the Bellamore Armored Motor Bank Car of 1910, which was meant to function like the banking service armored cars of today, but also as a mobile bank branch. It wasn’t until Rolls-Royce came out with the Rolls-Royce Ghost in August 1914 that the first armored vehicle was introduced to the British military. The vehicle proved to be superior during the war, creating a demand for armored cars across the globe. In 1930 Mercedes Benz introduced the Nurburg 460, which was an armored car used to protect Pope Pius XI. The armored car was becoming more and more popular. Vehicle manufactures around the world started creating their own versions of the armored car.

Industrial business use

Financial Industry: The armored car is used to transport money from one destination to another safely. This benefits the bank because it gives the bank employees more time to work with the customers and provides a security net, to the owner knowing their money is in good hands.

Education Industry: Schools utilize the armored car for safely transporting money made by school fund raisers or cafeteria profits. Many universities have within their confines a university bank, and they may require the use of an armored car to handle large amounts of money.

Jewelry Industry: Many jewelers such as Jared, Kay, Rogers and Hollands, and Tiffany Co, all utilize armored cars to transport their valuable jewelry safely to their stores. Jewelers work with precious metals and valuable gemstones, they need to make sure that their work can be safely carried to the person who has ordered it.

Armored cars and popular culture

The Armored car has been utilized in many action films because of its worldwide recognition as a high security level vehicle. Some films include:

Armored (2009): Armored is an action movie starring Columbus Short, Matt Dillon, and Laurence Fishburne. In this particular film a handful of armored car guards decide to go rogue and rob one of their own armored vehicles carrying over 40 million dollars. The movie demonstrates how armored cars can still operate under extreme stress. The armored vehicle is shot at, bombarded by a series of explosives, and rammed by other vehicles. Even under these extreme conditions the guards inside of the armored car remained unscathed.

The Town (2010): The Town is an thriller/drama starring Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, and Jon Hamm. This film is about a group of bank robbers from Charlestown, Massachusetts, near Boston. The team of thieves is given a job by the head crime boss in town, to rob Fenway Park. Once inside the park the thieves disguised as police officers fool the stadium guards and steal millions of dollars from the park. While trying to exit the stadium the thieves realize they are surrounded by the FBI with no way out. They make it down into the parking garage where the armored car is waiting to safely transport the money out of the stadium. The police enter the stadium and engage in a fire fight with the thieves. The thieves, knowing the armored car is bullet proof, use it to their advantage to take cover from the flying bullets. One of the thieves then uses the armored car to ram through the stadium garage door, creating a diversion which allows the rest of his fellow robbers to escape. The film depicted how armored cars are extremely bulletproof and can be used to smash through large barricades that may be in its way.

Vehicle armoring companies

Whether it be protecting high-value individuals or for personal use, many companies have cornered the market on developing ways to armor civilian vehicles. These companies include: www.armored-cars.com

• Alpha Armouring Panzerung
• Texas Armoring Corporation
• Troy Tactical Solutions
• Carat Security Group
• Alpine Armoring Inc.
• Car Armoring Service Int.
• Inkas Armored
• MSCA - M Special Car Armoring
• Scaletta Armoring
• United Shield International

Vehicles

An armored shell and cab are customized on a basic van or truck chassis. These vehicles are designed to resist attempts at robbery or hijacking. Bullet-resistant glass and reinforced shell/cab are designed to handle bullets from most handguns and rifles.

They may or may not be manned by armed guards. Such armored cars are usually operated by security firms, and are therefore often referred to as security vans.^{[citation needed]}

G4S security van in the UK

Brinks security van in Hamburg, Germany

Guards

Most armored cars have 2 to 3 occupants:

• driver (may be the secondary guard)
• guard with cash or valuables
• guard protecting the first guard (may be the driver)

Depending on the jurisdiction, the guards are armed with weapons. Most carry small-caliber handguns or shotguns. In many jurisdictions these guards are required to have weapons training. Six Member States of European Union prohibit weapons during CIT operations.

Guards wear ballistic vests and may or may not wear ballistic helmets.

Firms

List of firms using armored cars:

• Brinks
• Garda
• Securicor
• Wells Fargo - sold to Loomis (now Loomis AB)
• G4S
• Prosegur

Alternatives

Intelligent Banknote Neutralisation Systems are often used as an alternative to armored cars or as a complimentary protection for Cash-in-transit (for example, in semi-armored cars).

See also

• Non-military armored vehicles
• Cash-in-transit