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The “God’s Rambo” 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Helped Civilians During the Bosnian War

Bosnia and Herzegovina wasn’t a nice place in the early 1990s. What became known as the Bosnian War concluded in ‘95 with a stalemate, more than 100,000 soldiers and civilians dead, and a blurred line between civil and inter-state conflict. Simply put, it was a mess.
"Gottes Rambo" 1979 Chevrolet Camaro used by Helge Meyer in the Bosnian War 28 photos
Photo: Helge Meyer
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During one of Eastern Europe’s worst moments of the 20th century, a special forces officer by the name of Helge Meyer did his best to protect the people that didn’t have anything to do with ethnic tensions and political interests.

Retired from the Jaeger Corps of Denmark – the closest U.S. equivalent would be the Delta Force – Meyer had a daring yet admirable plan to help civilians during the Bosnian War. Spoiler alert: the headline says it all.

With the blessing of the United States military, the special forces officer carried out a Mad Max-style tuning job of a second-generation 1979 Chevrolet Camaro that he would use to deliver supplies to civilians.

The upgrades list includes a mine-clearing blade and/or a bull bar at the front, kevlar panels and steel-plated windows for bulletproofing, run-flat tires, a body-heat detection system, and even a night-vision system.

Say what? But wait, there’s more! The 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 was tuned to 220 horsepower as opposed to the stock output of 185, and at the tap of a switch, the nitrous-oxide tank would level up the small-block engine to 440 horsepower. A ground-to-air radio was also added, helping Meyer coordinate with the air force during his V8-powered delivery drives.

Make no mistake about it, KITT from Knight Rider would blush in awe. But as opposed to the Laser Power Pack of the Knight Industries Two Thousand, the ‘79 Camaro lacked on the offensive side. No weaponry was outfitted to the car, and one of the reasons for this is payload. Carrying 400 kilograms of supplies – at a time – is hugely impressive for a pony car, don’t you think?

The car is still with Meyer, retired in his garage. Now painted orange and with more than 100,000 kilometers on the clock, the veteran 'Maro also happens to be road-legal. If you want to read more about Meyer and Bosnia, as well as his civilian-saving car, you’re in luck! The Danish officer has written a book about his years in Bosnia, titled Gottes Rambo or “God’s Rambo” in English.

If German isn’t your forte, Meyer’s Facebook page should suffice.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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