Image via Mecum Auctions
A Humvee modified to replace its wheels with tank-style tracks is heading to auction — a configuration that takes the already capable military utility vehicle and transforms it into something that looks like the result of a very specific type of engineering enthusiasm.
The Vehicle
The M998 HMMWV is the military’s workhorse utility vehicle, produced in enormous numbers and available through surplus channels for civilian buyers who have long appreciated its durability and capability. Track conversions exist as a modification category for both agricultural and military-surplus vehicles, replacing the standard wheel-and-tire arrangement with continuous track systems that provide different traction characteristics over soft terrain.
What Tracks Give You
Track systems distribute a vehicle’s weight over a larger surface area than tires, dramatically reducing ground pressure and improving flotation on soft surfaces like mud, sand, and snow. The tradeoff is increased complexity, higher maintenance requirements, and top speeds that are typically lower than wheeled configurations. For a Humvee that will never need to travel at speed on hard pavement, those tradeoffs may be entirely acceptable to the right buyer.
The Auction
Surplus military vehicles with unusual modifications attract a specific buyer profile — typically collectors, enthusiasts, or recreational users interested in extreme off-road capability rather than practical transportation. A tracked Humvee fills a niche that virtually nothing else available at auction occupies, which generally produces competitive bidding from the relatively small pool of buyers who want exactly that kind of machine.
About the Author
3 thoughts on “Someone Is Auctioning a Track-Modified Humvee With Tank Treads Instead of Wheels”