The Lohr FL501

During the 1980s, several armies introduced small, lightweight 4x4 all-terrain vehicles for the purposes of providing transportation and cargo-carrying capabilities to specialist forces, especially airborne units. The trend was set by the American army during the Vietnam War, where it used the M274 “Mechanical Mule” to carry ammunition and cargo over shor distances and be used as a firing platform for weapons.

One of the more interesting designs to emerge was a versatile French-built vehicle called the “FL501.” It entered