1936 Auto Fort

Around 1936, the Milwaukee Police Department engineered and built an armored patrol van, said to fit 25 men. The vehicle was 22' 7" long, 9'8" high, and 8' wide. The entire body was made of bullet proof metal and windshield, with windows that were shatterproof. Mesh screens and the lower profile of the vehicle were designed to protect the tires from being shot. This was one of the first and only vehicles of its kind. The vehicle was delivered by the manufacturer to the Chicago area by rail and then driven to Milwaukee by members of the department.  The weight of the vehicle was so great that all four tires gave out before it reach the city. The vehicle did not get used much and remained in the fleet into the mid 1940's.