Cars/civilian vehicles in the Imperium

[Evil Eye]

Cars are cool. Unfortunately it's safe to assume that the average Imperial citizen is not going to be owning a car, given the vast majority of people in the setting live in a sort of techno-feudal society as peasants/serfs working on farms or in factories for presumably low wages. That said, not every world has completely terrible standards of living, and I would imagine on the nicer/more well-off planets car ownership might be comparable to early 20th century rural Europe- not unimaginable, but not widespread either. And obviously if you're someone important (a high-ranking priest, a governor, an Inquisitor etc) you're very likely to have some form of personal conveyence.

 

However, we very rarely see any kind of non-military vehicle depicted in official 40K media. There have been some conversions (the Genestealer Cult Limo springs to mind!) but very few, and no official models to the best of my knowledge at all.

 

So the question is, for those privileged few who can obtain an automobile, what would they be like?

 

I'm imagining they'd very much embody the whole interwar retrofuturist vibe of the Imperium, combining extremely advanced technology such as multi-fuel gas turbines or whatever with design philosophy that would make the original Beetle look futuristic. Obviously even the most basic car would be reasonably ornamented, as being a holy working machine of some importance it would presumably make sense to honour its machine spirit with a sutiably fashionable exterior. Stylings I can imagine being similar to 20s and 30s continental cars with some added Imperial flair; pretty to look at but also practical and functional. Imagine if you will if someone strapped skulls, iron trim and a turboshaft engine to a Citroen 2CV.

 

Also, I might as well use this thread as an excuse to post my latest 3D work in progress which may or may not be finished- a printable staff car for an Imperial officer (or whoever).

This is the basic chassis (some edits to it were made after this). I used a VW Beetle floorpan as reference. Obviously the suspension and steering are non-functional (and will probably be hidden completely once the bodywork is on, making me wonder why I even added them...) but I am certifiably insane so there we go.  The cube is a rough scaling tool and represents a 28mm miniature.

I then got carried away and added a turboshaft engine that would be more at home in a helicopter than a car...

[Terminatorinhell]

I always feel like I'd see slightly techier stuff like you'd see in batman. Or something a little art deco like? 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Civilian vehicles certainly exist and feature in several of the Inquisitor related novels - so, they show up both in the Eisenhorn and Ravenor book series, though its been ages since I've read them so I can't really point you any more specifically than that.  I don't recall much in the way of their descriptions, though, other than my recollection is that is typically focussed on their purpose (for example, a cargo hauler, a lifter, etc) and as being something to fight on or around.

 

As well, there are several examples of actual GW models of civilian vehicles - all of the Genestealer cult vehicle models (except those taken/stolen from the Astra Militarum army list) are militarized civilian vehicles, and the Necromunda vehicles are civilian as well.

 

The Imperium is a vast place, so one would expect a very wide range of vehicle types and looks, though if one wants to try to replicate the 40K aesthetic, I guess something that looks like it came out of WWII but with more hard edges/less curves would look about right.  One thing to keep in mind in making your own is that 40K vehicles are for the most part underscaled (the whole "how do you fit 10 marines in a rhino" thing), so your "beetle" variant is probably about right for a van/truck but probably too big for a car - at least if you want it to be proportional to existing 40K vehicles, as it appears to have a foot print similar to a Leman Russ.

 

Your model looks good so far, though I'm not certain what you ultimately are aiming for - you mention some kind of staff car, but the engine seems kind of ridiculous unless its some kind of race car or something else that would need those huge intakes.  Generally, 40K vehicles seem very purpose driven, so maybe start there and work out what structures it would need to meet that purpose.

 

Its a neat project, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Evil Eye]

21 hours ago, Dr_Ruminahui said:

but the engine seems kind of ridiculous

Yeah...I got a bit carried away. Engine is going to be substantially reduced in size!

 

Edit: Replaced that monstrosity with a comparatively sensible radial engine (for rule of cool primarily). Plan is that the engine, drive belt and back of the transmission housing (where the belt wraps around) will be one piece, making printing and assembly that bit easier. The valve tappets should be relatively safe as whilst they are very thin, they're supported from both sides by much thicker, stronger parts.

Edited October 20, 2023 by Evil Eye

[ThePenitentOne]

These guys have an interesting selection. The Corvette-Batmobile one is my fave.

 

https://wargameexclusive.com/shop/?yith_wcan=1&product_cat=cars

[Rhavien]

In one of the crime books the main character had a car. He was even a member of a well known family manufacturing cars. I think there is a wide spread of car types out there in the wh40k universe but I imagine them either as some kind of steam punk rolce royse or delorian type. 

[N1SB]

I knew I saw them somewhere...but completely forgot what it actually looked like.  From Rogue Trader:

 

 

Don't let this restrict your creativity, but just providing some lore support.  Looking good, Brother Eye.

[aa.logan]

1 hour ago, Rhavien said:

In one of the crime books the main character had a car. He was even a member of a well known family manufacturing cars. I think there is a wide spread of car types out there in the wh40k universe but I imagine them either as some kind of steam punk rolce royse or delorian type. 

Groundcars feature heavily in many of the Warhammer Crime stories, on Vargantua, at least, personal motor vehicles are rife.

[Trokair]

I would also have a look at the Ork vehicles, sure some of them will be Ork designs, but many look like they have traces of more human vehicles that the Orks have looted, the battlewagon for example looks like it could have been a HGV. While some of the smaller ones could have been various all terrain trucks.

[Leonaides]

Destroyed groundcars are mentioned in various city fight descriptions, fire warrior etc. There must be cars, as there are roads in these ruined cities we keep fighting in.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Whilst ground cars are mentioned in some of the books (the Eisenhorn series, and Warhammer Crime series*), detailed descriptions are somewhat limited - it's generally mentioned that they run on promethium, but beyond that, details are scant. From what I remember, they're generally portrayed as being less common than they are today (i.e. they're effectively less affordable than they are now - I think I remember reading that it was unusual for a probator to own their own vehicle in one of the books).

 

For some reason, in my mind's eye they're like a "40k'd" American town cars from the 60s-70s (Buick Riviera, Lincoln Continental, Cadillac Fleetwood/DeVille, etc)

 

* I think it was Grim Repast, but it might have been Flesh and Steel or Vorbis Conspiracy.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Firedrake Cordova

[Orange Knight]

The most detailed description I've seen in the 40k setting relating to a car is in the Warhammer crime novel "Flesh and Steel" 

 

The protagonist of the novel is the estranged son of a powerful, noble family. He drives around in a really fancy luxury/sports car that has all sorts high tech features that are suitably sci-fi.

 

In one of the Gaunt's Ghost stories, an Astra Militarum officer is driven around in a limousine whilst off duty.

 

In Eisenhorn they mention hover cars on one world, I'm pretty sure. I imagine some worlds might have really sophisticated vehicles.

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

On 10/23/2023 at 1:36 AM, ThePenitentOne said:

These guys have an interesting selection. The Corvette-Batmobile one is my fave.

 

https://wargameexclusive.com/shop/?yith_wcan=1&product_cat=cars

These kind of vehicles would have made the Ash Wastes campaign a huge success. Sadly Goliath lawnmowers and Cawdor junk walkers don´t scream Mad Max.

[pawl]

Civilians in general (outside of the occasional planetary governor or token-civilian-objective) are massively under-represented in plastic, I think. It would be nice for even one of the 40k-style 3rd parties to make a civilian range that were just sort of 'normal' - not sexualised, ideally with proportions similar to existing ranges, and not hyper-specialised in look and function.

 

To add to what others have said re; inquisitorial works, not-military vehicles have also had vehicles mentioned in both the Gaunt and Cain-based books, as I recall, though I couldn't point to exactly where.

I seem to recall both series mentioning staff cars that sound like old long-bodied, leather upholstered cars from a few decades ago that you'd expect to have cigar and brandy storage in the back.

 

I think one of the inquisitor novellas (something to do with orks and a Warp portal maybe? Or maybe a loose tyranid) mentioned hover cars of some description. I want to say it was a piece from the perspective of a taxonomist? I may also be confusing several books though - I have an awful memory! Either way I always thought it odd that 'hover' is a vehicle type, given that IG/SM grav vehicles are a thing of the distant past.

 

Mass transit seems to be the most talked about form of conveyance though - everybody loves a train apparently. Maybe a private skiff for the well to do (is a skiff a hovercraft of some kind?)

 

Anyway, useless ramble over! =D

[Dr_Ruminahui]

I too was thinking of those stories, though I was recalling the hero getting to remote regions by wheeled truck...  I think it was in the series of short stories involving the young Ravenor (so, prior to his being an inquisitor and confined to his battle chair).  But yeah, my recollection too is that one featured a tyranid and another an orc - there may have been some ruined vehicles in the one featuring the archoflagelent/combat servitor as well.

 

Abnett's inquisitoral stories feature a lot of grav/hover vehicles, a lot of them civilian, so do run in general contradiction to the background material that such are rare.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Ramell]

The Ork story with the warp portals is Regia Occulta, originally an audio novella, early in Eisenhorn's career. The other one with the rogue tyranid is The Curiosity, following a magos biologis doing a taxonomic study. He has two stories, and later shows up in The Magos. 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Guess I misremembered where those two stories were from, then, and who was in them.   Thanks for the correction.

[Felix Antipodes]

There has always been a wide gulf in the living conditions/standards of the Imperium.  Some are so advanced that hover cars are fairly common (sites of recovered STCs maybe?) while others consider a horse analog as good as it gets.

 

Having said that, I’d love to see a story sometime where someone from an agri-world or similar gets to see how the other half lives (but without the ‘Aw Shucks’ cliches)

[Iron Father Ferrum]

On 10/22/2023 at 7:36 PM, ThePenitentOne said:

These guys have an interesting selection. The Corvette-Batmobile one is my fave.

 

https://wargameexclusive.com/shop/?yith_wcan=1&product_cat=cars

 

Those look awesome!

[Ruskinses]

They talk about cargo-8s and cargo 12s in Gaunts ghosts a lot so just imagine Ridge Haulers with trailers or extra wheels

[Evil Eye]

Sorry to commit thread necromancy, but I've had a thought on this.

 

I still want to make some printable cars, but whilst I very much enjoy going overboard with interior details (like the radial engine with drive belt connecting to a transmission on a chassis suspiciously similar to the VW Beetle) it did occur to me that for wargaming purposes, even if being used as an actual game piece (moving objective/escort mission or whatever) a full interior might not only be redundant, but also counterproductive. It'd make printing more difficult, and also cause durability issues. So with that in mind, would I be better off making such cars "curbside" models, with no interior detail and blank windows that can be painted as being blacked out? I reckon for our purposes it'd still give more than acceptable results whilst making printing and gaming much less of a hassle.

 

For the record, as the images from my older posts are gone, here's where I'd got to (again, cube is a 28mm scale marker)

[Nephaston]

I do remember a bike chase scene in Fist of the Imperium where the main character Librarian borrows a bike to chase a Genestealer sniper through traffic.

 

Overall I imagine it varies from hive to hive but some of them have to be multi lane american road hellscapes mixed with indian traffic but faster, literal 13 lane roads with a mix of small civilian crafts weaving in between monstrositiess of cargo haulers, semi trucks draggin around small anti-grav platforms not suited for such speeds, overladen busses, arbites patrol apcs, halftracks scuffing the tarmac, mob boss limousines that clearly ignore whatever standards are enforced. If you even think about jaywalking someone will run you over. 

All the while the nobles that can afford it just fly over all that, with maybe some of the young nobles practicing their aim by occasionally seeing who can cause the biggest crash with one kill.

[Marshal Reinhard]

What use does a civilian have for a vehicle anyway? If you have time to joyride, it'd be better spent giving your labour to the Emperor.

 

But really it'd depend on the planet a lot.

 

EDIT: To give a little substance, I think on most worlds most civilians aren't in a position to own any private vehicles. When you get further up in status where this becomes an option like nobles and such i imagine they have access to non civilian vehicles for private use. Or custom made such. Therefor most civilian vehicles i think you'd run into are work vehicles and the like. 

 

In most cases anyway

Edited May 23, 2024 by Marshal Reinhard

[Emperor Ming]

The average Adept (basic level of Imperial worker) works 20ish hours everyday for their entire lives. 

 

No weekends off in the Imperium, no sick days. #Gimdark

 

Vast majority will not have any type of vehicle. 

 

of course they get the two or three mandatory festival days off a year

 

 

[Valkyrion]

On 10/25/2023 at 1:53 PM, N1SB said:

I knew I saw them somewhere...but completely forgot what it actually looked like.  From Rogue Trader:

 

 

Don't let this restrict your creativity, but just providing some lore support.  Looking good, Brother Eye.

 

 

They only looked like this in Rogue Trader because everything was made out of cans, deodorant and shampoo bottles!