I got back super-super-late from the Ford Performance event last night, driving back from Charlotte at 2 am because in many fundamental and important ways, I’m a dummy. But while I was there I saw a fantastic off-road vehicle I wasn’t previously familiar with, and it had pretty much nothing to do with Ford Performance, though I suppose there are some historical Ford tie-ins. The vehicle was encased in glass, like it lived in a colossal terrarium, and it’s big strange face drew my attention like it hooked it on a winch. Let’s talk about this thing.
This thing, is technically known as the M561, but is better known as the Gama Goat. The name comes from the man who designed the powered, articulated joint this machine uses, Roger Gamaunt, and the “goat” part is because this thing climbs over terrain like a, you know, goat. The reason there was one preserved under glass at the facility Ford was holding their big event was because that facility was once known as Camp North End, and it started life as a Ford factory, where it was used to build Models T and A (get your mind out of the gutter) up until the 1930s.
Then it was used for Army warehouses, then in the 1950s Douglas Aircraft used some of those warehouses to build Hercules and Ajax guided missiles, and then in 1969 Consolidated Diesel Corp. (CONDEC) built a factory there to build these Gama Goats for the war in Vietnam. So that’s why one is preserved there, among all the restaurants and event spaces and clubs or whatever – they used to build them right there.
The Gama Goat is a fascinating machine; it looks like a strange stubby 4×4 pulling a trailer, but really it’s all one 6×6 vehicle, it’s just jointed and articulated in the middle:
See? It’s six-wheeled, and six-wheel drive, with the three-cylinder 2.6-liter two-stroke diesel making about 101 horsepower, and contained in that box behind the two seats in the front part of the machine. The rear could be used for cargo or up to eight people, and the whole contraption steered with both front and rear axles, and that middle joint could articulate pretty dramatically, too. Look:
The bodies were aluminum, and it was said you could puncture the body panels with a knife or other sharp somethings. The initial demand for these came from French troops already in Vietnam who felt the US Army trucks they were using were not at all suited to dealing with the rough terrain. A program called Project Agile was started to develop something better suited to the challenging terrain of South Asia, and the Goat was the result.
While it was incredible agile and capable off road and even amphibious enough to get across relatively calm waters, the M561s were also notoriously unreliable and mechanically demanding, breaking down frequently and requiring a lot of complex maintenance.
They made about 14,000 of these up into the 1980s, but because of their temperamental nature, they tended to be disliked by those who had to actually use them in the field.
From my vantage point, though, on a couch, entirely free from any responsibility of maintaining or using one of these, I think they’re pretty damn cool! A mid-engine, two-stroke, six-wheel-drive, articulated convertible? What’s not to like?
If it is the one I remember, it used to blow diesel exhaust all over the “passengers” in the back. Most preferred to walk.
My unit had one, late 80s West Germany, always broken.
The word Contraption comes to mind. Awesome!
Sounds like the preferred form of address would be expletive, expletive, of useless expletive contraption.
If you had a flat tire you could run the gama goat with 5 wheels, just remove one of the middle wheels and lock the oscillatation parts to the rear. By the time I was in the army (early 80’s) most gamagoats I found were being used as targets in artillery impact areas. We found one at Ft Benning on a TOW missile range in 1990 that we started and drove around.
One is also featured in the movie “Stripes” filmed at FT Knox KY at the border checkpoint scene.
“M561s were also notoriously unreliable and mechanically demanding, breaking down frequently and requiring a lot of complex maintenance.”
Used by French troops in Vietnam? Perfect!
Perhaps the French kept stripping out the gears looking for reverse.
Brutal! Hahaha
Game Goat makes a Unimog look like a Barbie Jeep.
These things are awesome…they are the GOAT! What’s wrong w/ T and A? Nothing
This story sent me into one of the coolest RABBIT HOLES I have found in years…
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/private-collector-jacques-littlefield/
I visited that collection many years ago thanks to friends of friends. Out guide was an ex US Army tanker major. He had lots of great stories.
The portion of the collection on display (e.g. not in the workshop which we also saw) was housed in three massive sheds in the shape of a U. In the U’s courtyard there was a ship’s propeller. The major told us that propeller had been given to Littlefield as collateral for a loan.
It was from the Lusitania.
It takes a certain kind of wealth to use a piece of history like that as a yard decoration.
The major told us Littlefield had started collecting the tanks because ANYBODY could do rare cars or whatever. He wanted to be different and collect ultra rare battle tanks. Some pieces of the collection were one of a kind.
Some of them had been used for target practice but thanks to throwing sometimes seven figures at each one they were all looked factory fresh. The major assured us they were only cosmetically perfect as the agreement with the powers that be did not permit those tanks to be battle ready. Each tank had some of the armor cut out and replaced with a bit of tinfoil to make them vulnerable…at least officially…wink wink.
Littlefield loved to go out, fire one up and go for a drive. So they all had to be driveable unless they were being worked on.
As we were looking at a Russian T-60 the major pointed out its low profile and said the Soviets specifically crewed them with folks of short stature as they were the only ones who could kinda comfortably work in them. I have no idea if he was joking or not. The T-34 next to it looked rough. Those things had been cranked out fast. The major mentioned that when the engines were first fired up they would self machine and upwards of a kilo of metal shavings would come out in the first oil change.
The website mentions the neighbors. The major told us the story of how that trucker got lost too. He also told us another story of another trucker who couldn’t deliver because the loaded trailer was too heavy and or too big for the narrow road. The closest the truck could get was the village and so the driver, Littlefield and the local sheriff (who was Littlefield’s buddy) figured out what to do. They unloaded the tank – a main battle tank mind you – and just drove it up the hill to the ranch.
There were no more complaints from the neighbors after that.
So yeah, its a hell of a good time. I highly recommend a visit if you get a chance.
It’s an interesting contrast with the UK, where it’s entirely legal to own a fully operational tank, and even drive it on public roads (although you have to have a category H endorsement on your driving license)*.
You can even keep the main gun fully operational, as long as you have a firearm’s license. But you’re only allowed to shoot them on army ranges, and I don’t think the British Army take kindly to civilians turning up with their own tanks.
*you can drive a tank with just a car license, but only with L plates and an instructor.
You won’t get anywhere very fast though:
“Vehicles with sprung suspension and ‘resilient’ material between the rims of their weight-carrying rollers and the road surface (this could be rubber or other resilient material fitted as blocks on the tracks or resilient tracks) are limited to 20 mph (32 km/h). Vehicles not so fitted are limited to 5 mph (approx. 8 km/h).”
T and A models were always my favorite from the Ford Agency.
the headline immediately made me think of the banana splits’ amphicat, aka banana buggy, circa 1968.
nope. way off.
Wow would you look at those seats!!!
Beach chairs wrapped in military grade burlap. Spared no expense for those boys and girls in khaki, did they?
Bury the lede by not showing it in profile at the top.
Unrelated but they need to just make Camp North End reasonably priced apartments. They keep trying to make it cool like NoDa or Plaza Midwood, but it’s not that cool, and when we went there last year I swear I caught a drug deal going down in front of the ice cream shop that was blasting explicit music(not really a kid friendly vibe).
I live near there and I’ve never had any issues with it being sketchy. The street racing in their parking lot is an entirely different story though.
I do agree they’ve put the cart before the horse a bit though. I think it will ultimately be a really cool spot but it’s been slow going and while it’s actually grown faster that I thought when it was announced I’ve heard they think highly of their space.
That’s impressive output for a relatively small diesel
I could use one of these, given the potholes that are appearing around here lately.
This thing is so ahead of its time. It could twerk before twerking was a thing. In theory.
Fun Fact (2): I think it was about 15 to 20 years ago that government surplus auctions were flooded with spare engines for these things, new, in crates, going for a handful of dollars. I spent many late-night hours trying to figure what vehicle to swap one in to, and how to justify it.
Fun Fact (1): The steering on the Gama Goat does not return to center by itself. When the driver turns the wheel the vehicle will continue to go around in a circle, even with hands off the steering wheel, until the wheel is deliberately, manually, returned to center for straight-ahead travel.
My brother had a Land Rover like that.
David needs to test one! Near 90 degree approach angle and I bet a 50 degree departure. He could go anywhere – just slowly.
Looks like the “trailer” disconnects to make a tiny 4X4.
And good god, the articulation!
Wow, a 2-stroke diesel. Not sure I’ve ever even thought of that concept before. And three cylinders no less! How did Saab never offer this?
Detroit Diesel 3-71 ?
Used all over the place.
I remember seeing a lot of these being written about in articles, as off-roaders from the surplus market, in off-road magazines back in the 90s.
The Gama Goat had a 3-53 Detroit Diesel – a 2-stroke diesel.
The drivetrain to the rear module must be interesting to allow that much articulation.
Hey! I know that place! It’s practically my backyard. I was wondering what all those car carriers were doing there last night and by the time I figured it out it was too late to attend.
Torch, if there’s ever a next time you’re welcome to crash at my place.
Tell us which of your excellent road trip vehicles you used for this advanture, then we’ll decide if we agree on the dummy part or not.
Also tell us whether you hit another deer or not.
I see far more deer butchery in the eastern part of the state I-87/587 than I even do when I drive from Raleigh to Charlotte.
Unfortunately, the enemy had a slight technological advantage in that many of them had lived there for 1,000 years.
A modern, reliable version of this would make for a fantastic substitute to the usual Pink Jeep Tour or even Duck Boats (well, the land portion at least)
Remember “Return of the Jedi” where a bunch of teddy bears defeat the technologically superior Empire….yeah. I’m told that sequence was fully based on the Vietnam experience.
Also Lucas’ obsession to make character choices based on how well the action figure would sell rather than how good a story it made.
Gah! It was a pretty good movie up to that point. Even at ten years old I thought that was stupid!
Well that makes sense because he gave up his share in the first movie in return for the toy rights in order to get it completed and of course the studio thought the toy rights were worthless.
Also got ownership of the sequels for the same reason. I don’t have a problem with what he did or the fact he was able to turn it into a massively profitable empire. I do have a problem with compromising the story for the sake of the merchandising.
All my nutjob Star Wars fan friends will continue to support that by buying everything they can ever make regardless of how bad the shows and movies get. I just don’t get it but good for him I guess?
The best of the original trilogy is the one Lucas likes least and had the least creative control over. “The Empire Strike Back” of course. I recall the opening sequence on Hoth terrifying me in the theatre (I was 3 or 4). Jedi has some great sequences but the sell out was evident on Endor. It’s also the one least desecrated in the newer releases. I have the laserdisk versions (pre-edit but complete) on DVD as my go to. My original VHS copies I no longer trust.
I’m mostly out of the loop on the newer product. Little of what I have seen has really impressed me. I’m sure a big part is I’m not a kid anymore.
Yeah – the first half of Jedi is good. Saw it in the theater with dad upon release, was 6 or 7.
The man in the
black pajamasteddy bear suit.