i still want a caddy, but i want it to be armored...

Mr. Ackermann, 57, and his sons own a company here that makes armored cars. It is a growth industry, with booming markets in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and any number of other dangerous places, where a simple journey from point A to point B can be a lethal experience.

Increasingly, the vehicle of choice for this adventure travel is a German luxury sedan clad like a panzer. One can buy such a fortress-on-wheels directly from the company, or from an outfit like Mr. Ackermann's, which buys cars from dealers and puts on the armor plating itself.

Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi are status symbols for the security-minded, just as they are for ordinary drivers. Even people who are not in any real danger covet armored models, in the same way that a Russian oligarch or a Hong Kong tycoon might collect bodyguards.

"One-third of the people who buy these cars are under threat, one-third think they are under threat, and one-third want to be in the first two categories," said Mr. Ackermann, pointing out photos of former customers, among them Frank Sinatra and the magician David Copperfield.