Osprey New Vanguard 52 : Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando 1960-1971

Destined to become one of the most influential postwar armoured cars, the Cadillac Gage Company developed the V-100 Commando in 1962 as a private venture and the first prototype was completed in the same year. It was designed for a variety of roles and can function as an 11-man personnel carrier, reconnaissance vehicle, convoy escort, command or patrol car and a riot vehicle. The V-100 was tested and evaluated in Vietnam before full-scale production began in 1964. It saw widespread use in Vietnam by United States and South Vietnamese forces. Primary US military users were the US Army Military Police and US Air Force Air Police units using two basic V-100 models, a manually operated turret version, and a vehicle with an open top. The Army mostly used the turreted model, whilst the Air Force version had two large doors on the roof that opened to give access to machine gun mounting points. The V-100 continued to be deployed in the post-Vietnam era and many were returned to the continental US to serve as patrol vehicles for air base defence. In the 1990s many were turned over to US police agencies where they have gained a new lease on life as tactical response vehicles. Text by Richard Lathrop with illustrations by Jim Laurier.

Contents

• Introduction
• Design and Development
• Operational History
• Variants
• Colour Plate Commentary