A Desert Dream on a Luxury Chassis
In the early years of World War I, British and French forces sought creative solutions for desert warfare. Among the strangest was the Sizaire-Berwick Armored Car, later dubbed the “Wind Wagon.”
It was a hybrid of luxury automobile, airplane engine, and armor plating, built not by a defense contractor but by a company known for upscale sedans. Though the concept aimed to tackle the sandy terrain of the Middle East and North Africa, the vehicle never advanced beyond testing.
From Showroom to Scrapyard
Sizaire-Berwick was formed in 1913 through a partnership between French engineers Maurice and Georges Sizaire and British importer William Berwick. Their factory in Courbevoie, France, produced high-end cars, but in 1915, the Royal Naval Air Service took control of the plant.
Needing a vehicle for desert patrol, military planners attempted to adapt the existing chassis by mounting a Sunbeam 110CV airplane engine and affixing steel armor to the front.
Too Heavy, Too Fragile, Too Late
The vehicle’s design posed immediate issues. The luxury car frame was not built to support the weight of a large aircraft engine or armor plating. Visibility was severely reduced by the added steel shielding. Its wheels, built for paved roads, were ill-suited for soft desert sand.
Though it was never deployed in combat, tests likely revealed its impracticality. The exposed propeller engine in the rear and lightweight chassis created a machine too unwieldy for combat and too fragile for rugged terrain.
Filed Under Experiments
Nicknamed the “Wind Wagon,” the Sizaire-Berwick Armored Car remains a peculiar chapter in WWI experimentation. Unlike the Ford Model T, which proved adaptable and reliable for military transport, the Wind Wagon was ultimately shelved.
No known records indicate it was ever used in an operation. Built for speed over vision, and elegance over durability, the vehicle became a footnote in the history of military engineering—a prototype that never left the drawing board.
In World War I, British and French forces attempted a bizarre desert warfare solution: a luxury car with an airplane engine and armor.
The result, the Sizaire-Berwick Wind Wagon, aimed to glide over sand but never saw battle.
Here’s why it never made it past testing…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/xSdQ9rHKMy
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) June 4, 2025