Ford And Armor Firm Unite To Stop Bullets
As the threat of kidnapping and terrorist attacks against corporate executives and government officials continues to rise, Ford Motor and Ogden’s International Armoring have decided to join forces to produce a $135,000 armored Lincoln Town Car that can repel high-powered bullets and continue driving through the harsh conditions of an attack.
The car comes with such features as wheel inserts that enable the car to withstand “compromised” tire pressure, bullet-proof plates throughout the car, and a modified fuel tank to diminish fuel leakage after a “ballistic event.”
The companies expect that six to nine of the vehicles will roll out of production each week by April 2003.
Some 300 of the armored cars will be sold the first year, says Ford. The vast majority of the cars will be targeted at corporate-kidnapping hotspots like South America, although a handful of the vehicles will be sold in the United States.
The annual growth rate for the armored-car market in the United States is only 1 percent to 2 percent, compared with a worldwide annual growth rate of 20 percent.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Salt Lake Tribune Online (01/23/03); Oberbeck, Steven .
