Img source: wp.com

Ralph Ziman`s South African Art Tank

South African Tank is a police vehicle that was designed in South Africa, in the late seventies. The project was called the Casspir project. It can drive over two anti-tank mines at the same time. If there is some damage to their tires, all problems could be fixed on the battlefield in around twenty minutes. This tank was seen as one of the fiercest symbols of the apartheid in South Africa.

It can carry around twenty soldiers, and it was meant to be one of the biggest symbols of oppression in South Africa during apartheid period. Naturally, because of its purpose, it was very unpopular in its home country. But even more than that, people were scared of it. It is known as only successful military vehicle that was designed in South Africa.

Img source: pioneerworks.org

Because of its effectiveness, it was quickly exported into other countries. It was designed on Mercedes Benz chassis. An artist, Ralph Ziman, choose to redesign the whole vehicle as a sign of protest against the regime that was in the time of apartheid. The whole vehicle was rebuilt from a scratch and totally redesigned.

Also, it has totally new parts, like engine for example. The only original element are its tires. The artist was contacted by a South African military defense who thought that they will sell the vehicle to the ISIS.

Img source: deskgram.net

However, that was not the case. The purposes for rebuilding this vehicle were totally artistic ones. One prof that they didn’t have this intent was that ISIS`s vehicles are all painted in black, and as you can see, this vehicle has a wide array of colors.