G.I. Joe Motorized Battle Tank (MOBAT) from Hasbro (1981)

BY Todd Coopee February 9, 2023 Filed to: Vintage Advertising

The Motorized Battle Tank (MOBAT) was one of the first action vehicles released for the toy line called A Real American Hero, released by Hasbro in 1981.

Designed for ages five and up, the tank was based on designs of full-sized armoured vehicles deployed by the U.S. Army. Running on two D-sized batteries, MOBAT was equipped with an internal motor that powered tank treads, giving the toy enough power to climb obstacles. It could be directed forward, backward, left, and right.

The tank was designed with a detailed body featuring grills, hatches, and tools. The turret could be rotated 360 degrees and included a simulated infra-red search beam for nighttime patrols.

MOBAT came packaged with the line’s Steeler action figure, which could be perched at the top of the tank. The toy’s instruction sheet included detailed “battle prints” that outlined how the full-sized MOBAT operated in the real world.

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