Versuchen GOLD - Frei
IT MIGHT BE GIANT
Octane
|August 2023
The AMC Mighty Mite was developed for US Marines to transport by helicopter. Massimo Delbò drives a tiny unsung hero of tactical warfare

An alloy-bodied, four-wheel-drive car propelled by a Porsche air-cooled engine, built from refined materials such as magnesium in an effort to save weight: it puts you in mind of a racing car, created to thunder along the Mulsanne straight. But in this case you'd be quite wrong. Welcome to the incredible - and very little known - world of the AMC Mighty Mite, an ultra-light quarter-ton 4x4 tactical off-roader, created specifically for the US Marine Corps for transport by helicopter.
Helicopters were a rare sight during World War Two; the American Sikorsky R-4, launched in 1942, was the first to be manufactured in series. In 1946, Marine Corps chiefs asked for a matching vehicle to be created for their troops, small and light enough to be lifted and transported by its Sikorsky H-19 aircraft, which had a 1202kg cargo limit, including crew and fuel. Those early helicopters had a limited carrying capacity and the ubiquitous Jeep was too heavy, hence the demand for a lightweight alternative.
The first prototype was built in the mid-1950s by the Mid-American Research Corporation to fulfill the Marines' brief for a 'vertical envelopment operations vehicle. Called the MARCO MM-100, it was equipped with a riveted alloy body, independent suspension, limited-slip differentials, inboard drum brakes and a Porsche 356-derived air-cooled flat-four, the exhaust gases of which passed through chassis tubes to save the weight of an exhaust pipe.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2023-Ausgabe von Octane.
Abonnieren Sie Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierter Premium-Geschichten und über 9.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Sie sind bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
WEITERE GESCHICHTEN VON Octane

Octane
The Ralph Lauren F50
RM Sotheby's, Monterey, USA 15-16 August
1 min
August 2025

Octane
MG RV8
As a 'new' car the RV8 made little sense in the UK, but it's a different story today
2 mins
August 2025

Octane
Black and gold
ALTHOUGH IT'S OFTEN pigeonholed as a rally car, 'XOO' - the extreme Alan Mann Racing track-focused racing car - featured in our last issue proves that the Ford Escort Mk1 actually has a broad range of motorsport talents.
1 min
August 2025
Octane
HIDDEN TREASURES
Some of the world's rarest and most valuable cars have been uncovered in the unlikeliest places over the years. These are the greatest barn-finds
18 mins
August 2025

Octane
100 AND CUT
This special event celebrated 100 years since Invicta took to the road and track, bringing the cars together with members of the founding family
6 mins
August 2025

Octane
THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE
Take theoretical supercar perfection and let your Formula 1 engineers loose to hone it. The result? Honda's NSX-R
8 mins
August 2025

Octane
Schumacher's Monaco winner raises €15,980,000
RM Sotheby's leads May with Monaco F1 sale; Broad Arrow makes European debut
1 mins
August 2025

Octane
Charged atmosphere
Alpine electrifies Dieppe with 70th anniversary celebrations – and major future plans
4 mins
August 2025

Octane
WHeeLs on FIRe
Octane goes behind the scenes with Hot Wheels, at the launch of a Ferrari tie-up targeted directly at the collector market
4 mins
August 2025

Octane
1965 Alpine Allo
POA from Classic Motor Hub, Gloucestershire, UK
1 min
August 2025