From War Machines to Workhorses: How Military Vehicles Reshaped Civilian Motoring

From the muddy trenches of the First World War to the blazing deserts of the Middle East, military vehicles have long served as the proving ground for some of the most rugged, ingenious, and influential automotive innovations. From War Machines to Workhorses is a sweeping journey through the 20th century, revealing how war's brutal demands gave birth to technologies-like four-wheel drive, diesel efficiency, and modular construction-that would ultimately define the civilian automotive landscape.

This book traces the surprising lineage from armoured cars to family SUVs, amphibious landing craft to microcars, and half-tracks to highway haulers. Rich in detail and global in scope, it explores how surplus stock seeded off-road cultures, how Cold War doctrine informed design, and how the divide between battlefield and boulevard was never as wide as it seemed. A definitive narrative of how the mechanics of conflict became the muscle of peacetime mobility.