John Edgemon Jr., a retired army veteran, gave an interview sharing details about the 1966 original Ferret scout car his father, John Edgemon Sr., had bought years ago. While the armored car had lain dormant for some time, Edgemon put in the work to get it going again. “Dad bought it probably 40 years ago. We kept it for 20 years, and then it went, sat in a barn for 20 years, and then I restored it.”

He shared details about its design, made by Daimler. “It’s a British armored Scout car, and it goes ahead of the tanks, and it’s got a machine gun on front of it.”

Edgemon told how his father bought the Ferret from a man in Maryland. “There’s not many of them out there, but the few that are, people like them because they’re street legal and they’re small.” He told how this was due to the versatility of the model. “It’s also designed for urban warfare. It’s got blinkers and headlights.”

Periscopes on the Ferret allow the driver to view the street without risking exposure, but metal plates on the front of the vehicle can be flipped open when in less perilous environments.

Edgemon further detailed the vehicle’s design. “It’s four-wheel drive. It weighs 10,000 pounds. Originally it’s designed to go about 55 mph, but that’s an old engine, I’m trying to keep it running, so it probably goes 15 mph right now.” He mentioned it could seat two people comfortably and three if necessary.

Edgemon detailed the vehicle’s tactical abilities. “It’s got a turret on the top with a machine gun, and it spins 360 degrees.” He stated it was a 30 caliber. “I don’t keep ammo in it, just so people don’t freak out.” He talked about the model. “It’s a British gun that would have gone with the tank.”

The Ferret has a Roll’s Royce engine. Edgemon talked about how the unique design made maintenance a challenge. He mentioned that the one upside was that the older design meant that parts weren’t computerized, making them easier to figure out.

Edgemon mentioned enjoying the reaction of spectators. “Kids love to play on it. Adults are intrigued by it too.” He also won first place at a car show at South Georgia Tech. “I’ve taken it to car shows for fun, and it’s always a crowd favorite.”

When asked if getting a tag was an issue, he replied; “I got insurance for it, and I got a tag. Sumter County gave us tags 40 years ago when we had it, and I got it renewed.”

Edgemon told of showing the Ferret to local law enforcement. “They liked it. They were just curious and looked at it and everything, and I jokingly said that they can use it if they want to.” He offered to teach them how to operate it. “I let one of them drive it. And I said, ‘see how easy it is to drive? And ya’ll can use it if you ever need to.’”

He still holds out the offer. “I’d be honored if they wanted to borrow it, but that’s fantasy there.”