The bulletproofing business is booming in Mexico. Last year nearly 3,000 cars were armour-plated in Mexico, the world’s second-largest market, up from 2,200 in 2013.
Most customers prefer to put protective glass and armoured plates on their own carrs, rather than buy a purpose-built bulletproof car. Installation takes over a month and costs up to $55,000 but for Mexico City’s ultra-wealthy and other wary motorists the peace of mind is invaluable.
Brazil is the world’s largest market by far. Since 2002, sales of armoured cars have risen fourfold to over 15,000 last year.
São Paulo state has a rate of robbery more than twice as high as Mexico City’s. Its inhabitants therefore have a greater need for a bulletproof car that can repel an armed roadside bandit.
Mexican criminals usually carry heavier weapons than Brazilian thugs do. The “Type IV” armour which repels bullets from guns like the ak-47 costs three times as much as Brazilian armour and adds 30% to a car’s weight,. That's why owners must replace the brakes every six months.
Improving technology may change that calculation. Diamond Glass’s panes are 22mm thick, half what was needed a decade ago. Firms are making lightweight armour that does not weigh cars down. Such advances will reduce prices, making armour affordable for more motorists, whether they need it or not.
