This highly-unusual roadster was built on a 1998 International 4700 truck frame and fitted with the 29.3 liter V12 engine from a Patton tank. This engine is capable of 700 bhp and 2,820 lb ft of torque.
The design of this vehicle could charitably be described as minimalist. Minimalist in that it doesn’t actually have any body to speak of, though there is a windshield, four bucket seats, and a single rear vision mirror for your convenience.
Fast Facts: A Patton Tank-Powered Roadster
- This one-off roadster sits on a 1998 International 4700 chassis and is powered by a 29.3 liter Continental AV1790 V12 gasoline engine from a Patton tank. It produces 700 bhp and 2,820 lb ft of torque, paired with an Allison 3560 6-speed automatic. It’s a high-torque, low-compression unit that can run on standard fuel.
- The vehicle lacks a traditional body but has a windshield, wipers, four bucket seats (two with power adjustment), and a single rear-view mirror. Suspension consists of a 4-link front setup and rear leaf springs, while the drivetrain includes a 5.57 rear differential, four-wheel disc brakes, power steering, and a towing package.
- The Patton tank family began with the M46, which was an upgraded M26 Pershing fitted with the same AV1790 engine. It was followed by the M47, M48, and M60, with each generation improving in firepower, armor, and reliability. The M48 and M60 saw the most extended service life, including widespread export.
- The M60, the final iteration, retained the M48’s layout but featured better protection, a 105mm gun, and a diesel version of the AV1790 engine. Over 15,000 units were produced, and many remain in use today with upgraded systems.
The Patton Tank Series
The Patton tanks were a series of American main battle tanks developed in the early Cold War era, named in honor of General George S. Patton Jr. These tanks bridged the gap between simpler World War II-era designs like the M26 Pershing and the more advanced M1 Abrams tank that would follow decades later.
Above Video: This is a feature length documentary about General Patton, the man for whom the Patton series of tanks was named. Interestingly, this documentary was created by Lucasfilm to accompany the release of “The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones” on DVD in 2007.
The Patton family included a number of models, the M46, M47, M48, and M60, each iteratively improved to meet the changing needs of the US Armed Forces during the 1950s and right through to the 1980s – encompassing almost the entire Cold War.
The first Patton tank, the M46, was essentially little more than an upgraded M26 Pershing tank. It was introduced in 1949 with a Continental AV1790 V12 gasoline engine and a cross-drive transmission. While it kept the 90mm main gun of the Pershing, it added much-needed reliability and also offered a series of mobility improvements.
The M46 was deployed during the Korean War and proved more effective than earlier Sherman variants – especially in rough, uneven, and rugged terrain.
The M47 Patton followed quickly behind the M46, it developed in response to fears of Soviet armor superiority in Europe. It used the same engine and gun as the M46 but incorporated a new turret with an improved fire control system. Although it never saw combat under American service, the M47 was widely exported and used by NATO allies and other nations during conflicts including the Indo-Pakistani wars and the Lebanese Civil War.
The M48 Patton was the first post-WWII US tank designed from the ground up. It was introduced in 1953 and it featured a rounded cast turret, improved armor protection, and, initially, a gasoline engine.
Later variants introduced diesel powerplants, including the AVDS-1790, to improve operational range, efficiency, and safety. Early M48s used the 90mm gun, but the M48A5 variant replaced it with a more powerful 105mm M68 cannon, this was to align firepower with NATO standards. The M48 served extensively during the Vietnam War, providing crucial armored support in both conventional and counterinsurgency roles.
Here you see the chassis, engine, and transmission all in place before the vehicle was completed.
The final and most advanced of the Patton tanks was the M60, introduced in 1960. Although not officially designated a ‘Patton” by the U.S. military, it is widely recognized as part of the series due to its design being an evolution of the earlier Patton series.
The M60 retained the general layout of the M48 but featured a larger hull, better armor, and the 105mm M68 gun from the start. It was powered by a Continental AVDS-1790 diesel engine and it had improved night-fighting and ballistic capabilities.
Over 15,000 M60s were built, making it one of the most prolific Western tanks of the Cold War – it served well into the 1990s and was exported to dozens of allied nations, many of which still operate upgraded versions today.
The Patton Tank-Powered Roadster Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is the only one of its kind in the world. As noted in the introduction, it’s built on a 1998 International 4700 truck frame and powered by a 29.3 liter V12 engine from a Patton tank.
The engine used in this truck/car/roadster/tank is the gasoline version of the Continental AV1790 V12, offering 700 bhp and 2,820 lb ft of torque – that torque figure alone should be enough to impress. So should the fact that the engine consumes almost 500 lbs of fuel per hour at 2,400 rpm – so it’s probably a good thing that it’s a low-compression unit that can run on the cheapest pump gas.
Power is sent back through an Allison 3560 6-speed electronic overdrive automatic transmission with WTEC3 controls. The engine bay has a forced-air dual-fan engine cooling system, and it has front lower leaf spring suspension, forming the bottom of the 4-link setup.
In the rear you’ll find a conventional rear leaf spring suspension arrangement with a “Z” rear frame modification for lowering. It’s fitted with four-wheel hydraulic power disc brakes, power steering, a 5.57 geared rear differential, and a towing package including electric trailer brakes.
The vehicle doesn’t have a body to speak of, but it does have a windscreen with two windscreen wipers, a rear vision mirror, and four seats.
The vehicle doesn’t have a body to speak of, but it does have a windscreen with two windscreen wipers, a rear vision mirror, and four seats. The front two seats are power seats, and each seat has a seat belt for safety – because you obviously need to be a safety conscious person when sending it down the highway in your tank-powered, bodyless, multi-ton roadster.
This offbeat automobile will be rolling across the auction block with Mecum in late July, if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.