1972 Alvis Sabre Is A Jaguar-Powered Tank Ready For Grocery Runs

We're not sure about you but we've always thought that tanks are cool. Most especially if they are tanks that are small enough for regular roads, such as this: a 1972 Alvis Sabre, featured by Collecting Cars on YouTube doing a quick grocery run.

 The 1972 Alvis Sabre is based on the Scorpion, which holds the Guinness world record for the fastest production tank, reaching 51 miles per hour (82 kilometers per hour). It's part of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) or CVR(T) class.

The Sabre is also a hybrid tank, but it's not what you think it is; it doesn't have an electric motor. This tank is a combination of the FV107 Scimitar's hull but with the turret of the FV721 Fox. It even has a 30mm L21A1 RARDEN cannon, albeit, decommissioned for obvious reasons.

Weighing in at 8,000 kilograms (17,637 pounds), this tank is no lightweight vehicle despite being classified as a light tank. Pulling all that weight is a 4.2-liter Jaguar J60 inline-six gasoline engine, which is shared with the classic Jaguar E-Type. Yes, this tank shares something common with such an elegant coupe.

Sending power to the wheels, err, tracks is a seven-speed David Brown TN15D transmission. This gearbox has seven forward gears and seven reverse gears, allowing the Sabre to do a 360-degree rotation on the tank’s axis and go back as fast as it arrived. 

 Despite the age, this Sabre has been mechanically refurbished, with the recent service involving comprehensive engine, gearbox, final drive, fan, and alternator rebuilds. The suspension has also been reset to the correct height, while all oils and filters have also been replaced.

 Even better, this 1972 Alvis Sabre is currently up for bidding at Collecting Cars. The current bid is at £16,250 (around $19,222). If you're interested, you'd be glad to know that this tank is small enough to fit a 20-foot garage or a shipping container.