Live the dream and become owner of a genuine, very impressive, and highly collectable WW-II retriever

Tanks break down during combat Mines blow off tracks and damage suspension. They can get stuck in mud, on a tree stump, in an anti-tank ditch or some other obstacle. Sometimes they even tip over, lose a track or have a major mechanical problem and no longer want to drive. In such cases, an ARV can make all the difference!

Tracks & Trade is offering this M32B1 Armored Recovery Vehicle on behalf of the current owner on an exclusive basis. It is an absolute masterpiece, Class A restored to factory conditions, of a model from which only a very few remain, especially when it comes to operational vehicles. Much rarer than, for example, the Sherman, Chaffee, or Stuart tanks.

Equipped with a fully overhauled Continental C1 radial engine it comes with many trivial details.

Very unique and highly collectible unit. This will be a fantastic unit to add to any serious WWll collection, to tell the whole story of overseas maintenance in the field, highlighting the war effort and what it meant to fight in another country.

This M32B1; Highest quality: Class A restored!
This ARV, with production number #1281 is one of the 475 M32B1s produced and delivered by Pressed Steel Car Company in 1944.

Other producers of the M32 were Lima Locomotive, Baldwin Locomotive Works, and Federal Machine and Welde. After the WW-II many M32’s where supplied to the French Army where they remained in service till the late sixties. The French used them next to France also in Indo China (Vietnam) Algeria and many other countries.

After release by the Army this M32B1 was transported to a shooting range. Because the vehicle was still in very good condition and fully operational, it was quickly used by the site supervisor as a towing vehicle for range targets. As such it was used until 1985. In that year the engine broke down, so it was stored in a primitive shed until 1996. Luckily it was all these years under roof! A few years later it was discovered by its current owner. It took him many years to finally acquire ownership of the vehicle. For the release and transfer, an official transfer certificate was finally drawn up, which also guarantees ownership in the future.

The current owner has fully restored it since during a nine-year timeframe to its current Class A classification including a full overhaul of its Continental C1 9-cylinder radial gasoline engine and transmission.

Remarkable is that this M32B1, however based on the M4A1 small hatch hull, was upgraded with the latest updates from the A1 76 mm big hatches tanks such as the typical oil engine tanks, electrical wiring, clutch fork etc. So, it is a small hatch casted hull with inside most of last upgrade of A1 big hatches 76 mm model.

All restoration work has been carried out at the highest level!

© Tracks & Trade BV the Netherlands, January 2023