Armored car (valuables)

The idea of the armored vehicle dates back to Leonardo da 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.[1]

The earliest form of armored transportation for valuables that actually went into production were the "ironclad" treasure wagons designed by the Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage Company during the American Old West.[2] Back then, a platoon of soldiers and cavalrymen were used to transport valuables such as gold safely across the lawless frontier. They were not always successful in escorting their valuables, and some robbers managed to hold up and rob these transports, such as what happened in the Wham Paymaster robbery and the Skeleton Canyon massacres. In Deadwood, the Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage Company suffered robberies along the criminal-infested Deadwood to Cheyenne trail that also resulted in the death of one of their shotgun messengers named Johnny Slaughter. In order to deter bandits and prevent future robberies, the Stage Company built two steel-plated treasure coaches named Slaughter (after the former shotgun messenger) and Monitor (after the famous USS Monitor in the Civil War). The stagecoaches had 5/16th-inch thick steel plates, portholes for guards to shoot from, and inside of each coach was a strongbox with walls three inches thick that was bolted to the floor, and was said to be able to resist assaults for 24 hours. Although the stage coaches were impenetrable, they still left its driver and shotgun messenger unprotected.[2] On September 26, 1878, the Monitor was attacked by the Charles Carey Gang as it left Deadwood. The gang killed one of the passengers, stopped the carriage and took over $27,000 worth of gold and valuables.

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.[3] It was built on an Autocar Type XXI truck.[4] It was not 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. As the armored car became more and more popular, vehicle manufacturers around the world started creating their own versions.

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 utilize armored cars to transport their valuable jewelry safely to their stores. Jewelers work with precious metals and valuable gemstones, and they need to make sure that their work can be safely carried to the person who has ordered it.[5]

G4S security van in the UK

Brinks security van in Hamburg, Germany

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

Most armored cars have two to three occupants:

• A driver, who is normally never allowed to leave the vehicle until it returns to the garage
• One or two guards who deliver the cash or valuables

Their main duty is to stay watchful, and to load and unload the valuables as fast as possible.[7]

Depending on the jurisdiction, the guards may be armed, sometimes with handguns on their person and shotguns in the vehicle. These guards are required to undergo firearms training and may have to apply for and have permits for being a guard or to carry an exposed firearm. Training may also include: guidance on remaining calm in emergency situations, such as confronting armed criminals, assisting injured colleagues, and notifying local law enforcement, following traffic rules and choosing the safest routes for transportation.[7]

Five member states of the European Union, namely Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, as well as the United Kingdom, prohibit weapons during cash-in-transit (CIT) operations.[8] In parts of the United States, such as New York State, armored car guards are permitted to carry weapons after reasonable checks.[9][10]

In some jurisdictions, armed car guards are required to wear bullet-proof vests[11] and sometimes ballistic helmets.[7]

List of firms using armored cars:

• Inkas Armored
• Garda
• Securicor—sold to G4S
• Wells Fargo—sold to Loomis
• Armaguard
• Prosegur
• Grupo Protege
• Brinks

Intelligent banknote neutralisation systems are often used as an alternative to armored cars or as a complementary protection for CIT (for example, in semi-armored cars).[8]

Despite their primary function as a safe means to transport valuable materials from one place to another, armored cars are occasionally used for other purposes. For example, during the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, police officers in Los Angeles commandeered an armored car in order to extract wounded civilians and officers from the scene towards the end of the shootout.[12] This later led to the introduction of specialist police vehicles for similar situations.

The armored car has been utilized in many crime or action films and video games because of its worldwide recognition as a high-security-level vehicle carrying valuables. Some early examples include the films Armored Car Robbery (1950) and The Breaking Point (1960), as well as the Grand Theft Auto video game series.

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