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In the mid-eighties, a replacement for the venerable-but-outdated jeep arrived on the scene – the Humvee. It has all the off-road ruggedness and dependability of the former workhorse but includes features a jeep driver could only dream of. With greater size and carrying capacity, advanced communications, and numerous weapons configurations – heck, it even has run-flat tires – the Humvee provides so much more than battlefield transportation. In fact, with its TOW missile system, the Humvee M966 was used in Desert Storm to hunt down and destroy tanks!
FM came out-of-the-blue with this phenomenal release. Painted in full military “camo”, it’s loaded with a raft of features. Besides the usual operable steering, full suspension, opening doors and hood; there’s a double-hinged, rotating top hatch; a rear hatch with two “strong-arm” struts, and a drop-down tailgate with chains. Extra features include: a machine gun and TOW missile assembly to mount on top (missiles and other hardware can be found inside the rear hatch), a field pack, and a whip antenna. Exterior, interior and undercarriage detailing is top-notch. I’m thoroughly impressed by this “bravo!” image. As if this weren’t enough, the icing on the cake is the $69.95 issue price right from the store! [NOTE: FM seems to be experimenting with lower price-points, i.e. the $120 price for the Bugatti LE, the $90 price for the mammoth Big Foot (Tony Perrone was even able to get a $55.00 price!), and this large image. Whether these prices hold remains to be seen but it sure is nice for the collector.]
As advanced as “push-button” combat has become, with its “smart bombs”, GPS locators and computer-driven systems – there’s still need for the “man-on-the-ground.” It sure is good to know that soldier has equipment like the super-versatile Humvee M966 to insure his survivability on the 21st Century battlefield. The issue price is $69.
(10/21/2002)
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