Automecanica Moreni ABI

     Notes: This is a light wheeled armored car designed by Romania for scouting purposes.  It is similar in appearance and concept to the US Cadillac-Gage Ranger armored car, and it is also used for airfield protection and for security at places like reactors and ammunition depots.  The Romanian Army ended up passing on the ABI, but the Romanian National Police did employ the two prototypes for patrolling the Bucharest International Airport. Ten examples were bought by Algeria in 1987 for use by their National Police.  Algerian vehicles have a more powerful 82.5-horsepower VAMO Model D 3900 A engine, but are otherwise stock ABIs. Five were delivered to Liberia in 1986; their eventual disposition is unknown, though they took part in a military parade in Monrovia in November 1986.

     The driver is on the front left side and the commander to his right.  Both are behind bullet resistant windshields.  These windows can be covered by an armored flap, and these flaps did not have vision slits in them, being provided for additional protection only.  The commander has a firing port to the right of the windshield.  The driver and commander have firing ports at the outside of their windows; the commander also has a firing port to the right of him in the side window. The gunner sits in a small turret on the roof, and has a hatch.  The turret has manual traverse. The scout/security team enters and exits through two doors in the rear of the hull; each of these doors has a firing port.  There are also two firing ports in either side of the hull.  Two additional vision blocks are also found over the rear hull. The turret has two vision blocks to the front and a telescopic gunsight. Stock ABIs are powered by a 68-horsepower D-127 diesel engine; as noted, Algerian ABIs have a much more powerful engine. Armor protection is mostly nothing to write home about, though there is a marked increase in protection at the front hull of the vehicle, using steel and sloping.

     The ABI is known for its brutal use by Ceausescu’s Army to put down riots during the 1989 revolt, such as the massacre of USLA students in front of the Ministry of Defence. Romania’s ABIs were retired to museums after the Revolution.