Bombardier Iltis-Scratch Built

The Iltis jeep, officially known as the Volkswagen Type 183 Iltis, is a military vehicle built by Volkswagen for use by the German military and under license by Bombardier for the Canadian Forces and Belgian Army. This vehicle was developed in response to the West German army's requirement for a light military general-use vehicle during the late 1960s.

The Iltis was intended to replace the small all-terrain transport vehicles being used by several governments participating in a cooperative effort dubbed the "Europa Jeep" project, which aimed to create an amphibious four-wheel drive vehicle. Volkswagen decided to participate in the competition to provide the next new German military vehicle by creating an evolution of the Munga jeep, which had been out of production for several years by this time.

The Iltis featured a 1.7-liter Audi 4-cylinder engine, a gearbox from the Audi 100, independent suspension, and rack and pinion steering. It was available in both diesel and petrol variants and had a five-gear manual transmission system. The displacement of the petrol engine was 1.7L MT (75 hp), and the diesel engine was 1.6L MT (70 hp).

In addition to its use by the German military, the Iltis has served the armies of Argentina, Canada, Estonia, Greece, North Macedonia, Cameroon, Oman, and Belgium. The vehicle's powerful four-wheel drive system influenced Audi to create the Quattro and RS series, adopting similar technology.

The Iltis is known for its ruggedness and off-road capabilities, making it a versatile light utility vehicle for various military operations.

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