The Dirt Legal blog has covered some pretty rad machines in our articles. From dirt bikes to electric motorcycles and UTVs to decommissioned army tanks. But we’d be hard-pressed to come up with a more badass vehicle than the General Dynamics M1161/M1163 Growler. The Growler is a throwback to the Willys Jeep days but with a thoroughly modern powertrain. It was tailor-made specifically to operate with the V-22 Osprey and is the only tactical vehicle in the USMC inventory that the Osprey can carry internally.
Despite its young age and short tenure in the DoD, it is also a vehicle that is already being released for auction by the DLA. Lucky you! Of course, in the eyes of the law, it is a dedicated off-highway vehicle (OHV), so you can only use it off-road. Or can you? Let’s find out just how OHV the Growler really is and how you can slap a set of tags on it!
What Is A General Dynamics Growler?
To understand the M1161 Growler program, you first need to know a little more about the V-22 program.
The V-22 Osprey is the first production tilt-rotor aircraft to have widespread success. It came as a result of a very-failed Operation in 1980, Operation Eagle Claw, to remove American hostages from Iran. Yes, Argo is a fantastic book and movie about this crisis. 10/10 recommend.
Anyway, the American special operators were hampered by several severe limiting factors, but mainly that there were missions in the real world that neither helicopters nor fixed-wing aircraft could do. Moreover, the heavy-lift helicopters we had available lacked the range to get deep inland where the hostages were held, nor did they have the speed to get in and out undetected.
Obviously, a fixed-wing airplane requires a runway to operate from, although it satisfies the range requirements and speed.
The V-22 was envisioned and designed as a marriage somewhere between the two: it takes off and lands vertically, including being able to carry a load below it on a winch line, much like a heavy-lift helicopter (CH-47, CH-53). It then transitions to fixed-wing flight, allowing it to fly much farther and faster than a traditional helicopter.
Ok, so why is this so important?
Let me explain: development began around 2000 to build a successor to the M151 ¼-ton utility truck, which was the successor to the classic M38 Willys Jeep. So yes, there is more or less a direct lineage.
Again, the Growler was made for the specific purpose of operating in the V-22. Therefore, its dimensions were made exactly for the V-22 missions.
So, the Growler is a light vehicle powered by a 4-cylinder, 2.8l Navistar turbodiesel. GM diehards will recognize other drivetrain parts, namely the 4L70E transmission. This little badass carries 24 total gallons of diesel and has a curb weight of about 4,500lbs empty.
This is not a lightweight UTV; this is a truck. An awesome, small truck that is already trail-ready straight from the auction lot, and road-ready. Legally speaking is another matter.
Where In The World Can I Get A Growler?
Growlers only recently hit the auction houses, first being released for civilian purchase in 2019. We found one example sold on Bring a Trailer, but your best is to check out Govplanet.com. The availability of these vehicles varies from month to month, but auctions are still the best way to find them.
Since it is an auction, there is no set price, but thankfully, Govplanet has a ‘sold’ tab on their items so you can get a feel for what they are going for. A cursory look reveals prices on previously sold Growlers ranging between about $21,000 on the low end to $40,000 on the high end. That’s a wide margin, but also probably reflective of the void in the market for a vehicle like this.
Let’s face the facts: Jeep is no longer a manufacturer of off-road vehicles. Instead, they cater to suburban moms who want to feel like adventure would be fun but don’t want to go without A/C. Or heated seats. Their newly released Grand Wagoneer is a shameful homage to the original, which is undoubtedly one of the coolest classic SUVs.
If you want a truly capable vehicle with a thoroughly modern drivetrain, you might need to be unconventional. But, of course, there is nothing like the Growler, so this might just be it.
Why Do I Need One?
Imagine this, but with a Growler.
Why do you NOT need one? Seriously, a classic Jeep-esque ragtop 4x4 stuffed with a modern 2.8l turbodiesel? Who wouldn’t want this? Oh, and it is already outfitted for the trail since that’s what Growlers were designed to do. Riding on 235/85R16 tires, the Growler sits tall. It is similar in size and appearance to a UTV, but built on a real truck chassis.
Is a General Dynamics Growler Street Legal?
Like any other surplus military vehicle, Growlers are not street-legal when auctioned. They are issued a non-road-use SF-97 and have an End-Use Certificate (EUC) that you must fill out and have approved before picking up the item.
Now, this is really nothing more than a paperwork issue; Growlers were equipped with lights, horns, mirrors, seat belts, and so on from the factory. They are not street legal because they are a military fleet vehicle, not because of any manufacturing deficiencies.
I Bought A Growler and Want to Make It Street Legal. Now What?
Ok, so you pulled the trigger and won an auction for a Growler. Awesome!
Your first step lies in analyzing your home state.
California and Colorado, two of the most undisputedly beautiful places on the planet and perfect terrain for a surplus military vehicle are openly hostile towards street-legal military vehicles. As in, they refuse to issue surplus military vehicles an on-road title or register them for on-road use.
However, this doesn’t mean you are banned from using a legally tagged vehicle in these states if it is tagged in another state.
Every state has different rules about titling and registering surplus military vehicles. Some are bad, and some are ok. The easiest way is to use Dirt Legal’s military vehicle street legal service. With this, you know what you’re getting without ever leaving your home.
The Dirt Legal Advantage
A Growler’s natural environment.
We do this every day, so we know the ins and outs of it. Why?
So you don’t have to! It takes years of experience to figure out the nuance of getting titles and registrations issued for OHV-designated vehicles, and it can turn into a real headache if you don’t know what you don’t know.
We found this especially true in the states with the harshest lockdown restrictions; you could wait months for a government office to open. And just as soon as they opened it, you would be dealing with the hoards of loyal citizens trying to play catch up, just like you.
Well, we are the solution to this mess. You just want to get your Growler (or any other surplus military truck like a Humvee, for instance) street-legal and on the road. We can do that.
You will get an out-of-state clean title and, in some instances, registration and tags to boot! We only work with states that don’t mandate inspections, so even if you live in California or Colorado, it won’t matter. Your Growler will be a street legal machine, you will be happy, and depending on where you rest your head, your tax burden may be substantially reduced (Utah is a blanket 7%, while our Montana LLC program has zero sales tax).
TL;DR
The General Dynamics Growler is a sweet little surplus machine – part Willys Jeep, part Humvee, all awesome.
They are not street-legal when auctioned, but our military vehicle street-legal service will quickly get you out of the garage and on the road. Find out why thousands have trusted Dirt Legal to make their OHVs street-legal. And when you do, you'll be proud to say you have a street-legal General Dynamics Growler and didn't have to leave your home to do it.
John McCoy is a lifelong car and truck enthusiast and has a strong mechanical background off the road. He spent over 13 years in the U.S. Air Force as a crew chief, assigned to the B-1B Lancer, affectionately known as the Bone to those in the community, and the KC-135R Stratotanker. He resides on a small farm in Eastern Kansas where he (sometimes) enjoys fixing ancient farm equipment.