The Yankee is a large commercial truck featured in both the 3D Universe and the HD Universe of the Grand Theft Auto series. It is manufactured by Vapid in the HD Universe.
Design[]
In all of its appearances, the Yankee is depicted as a box truck with a long wheelbase and a large cab with room for two occupants, including the driver. Like many industrial vehicles, the Yankee has a changing "skin", along with a random paint job. This means that the Yankee will have a random company logo printed on the side of the truck.
3D Universe[]
First introduced in Grand Theft Auto III, the Yankee is loosely based on the Ford F700 and is predominantly designed to be one of the largest straight-trucks available in the games, having a tall nose, a large grille in the center, and square-shaped headlights, as well as a boxed cargo compartment (which, by Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, would contain actual cargo).
- In Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories the truck has three horizontal separations for the grille and small tail lights on the rear bumper, as well as taller units on the rear edges of the box and license plates on both bumpers. This rendition appears in a variety of primary colors applied to the cab and most of the rear box, while the front bumper, headlight housings, window trims, door handles, rear-view mirrors and fuel tanks are painted with a secondary color (usually in shades of gray).
- In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the truck gains minor tweaks to the model, such as a slightly rounded front bumper with circular vents and no license plate, detail on the hood and the doors, six separations on the grille, and additional tail lights on the rear bumper, together with a single exhaust pipe on the left and an extended cargo hold compared to the GTA III model. In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the details on the cab have a silver finish and a license plate is added on the front bumper. The truck spawns in a variety of primary colors for the cabin and secondary colors for the box, and appears to have a darker/worn effect.
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the design of the truck is largely similar to the GTA Vice City model, but has five separations on the grille and single tail lights on the rear bumper instead of the dual set from the aforementioned iteration, as well as no vents on the front bumper and no details on the hood and doors. Again, the truck spawns in a variety of primary colors for the cabin and secondary colors for the box.
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
The Grand Theft Auto IV rendition assumes the design of an 1980s International Harvester S-Series/1980s GMC Topkick, and appears to retain the characteristics from the 3D Universe iterations, but is noticeably taller and bigger.
The front of the truck has a large metal bumper with riveted details, sporting a small license plate in the center and small vents beside it. The upper area of the cowl (hood) sports a large frontal grille with two vertical separations and seven horizontal separations, with the former being wider than the latter, while a small plate with the Vapid logo is seen in the center. The fenders have a set of circular headlights on the frontal section and square turn signals mounted above, while the nose has a small upper intake near the windshield and gray "YANKEE" lettering on the sides. The cabin sports large side steps and handles for access, as well as large rear-view mirrors.
The rear section mainly consists of the cargo box, which features various marker lights and black protruding strips along the sides, as well as mudguards for the rear wheels. The rear end has two large cargo doors and an extended section with another protruding strip. The tail lights are mounted on a rear guard seen below the truck, while the license plate is mounted below the rear-left corner of the box and has a red marker light above. The chassis has two large side-mounted fuel tanks and a single exhaust pipe below, which ends slightly ahead of the left fuel tank. Depending of the livery, a cooling apparatus can be seen above the cab.
The Yankee is seen in two possible color combinations, consisting of a primary one for most of the cabin and a secondary one for the frontal area and in the form of a wide stripe passing around the cab; the first one is a light gray primary with a white secondary, while the second one is a darker variation with a blue secondary. The Yankee is available either in blank or in one of six liveries: Sprunk, Liberty State Delivery, Redwood Cigarettes, eCola, Pisswasser, or Binco. The eCola, Pisswasser, and Binco variants all have a cooling apparatus above the cab, while the Sprunk variant does not. The Sprunk variant also appears to be heavily worn down compared to the others, while the Liberty State Delivery variant is seemingly clean. Optionally, graffiti marks can be seen on any of these versions. It uses large industrial wheels with a similar design to the ones seen on vehicles such as the Benson, the Mule and the Phantom.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
For Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the truck seems to be a combination between the 3D Universe model and the GTA IV model (judging by the lack of an air conditioning unit and a stripe on the cab), which will appear with almost the same liveries as in GTA IV.
Performance[]
3D Universe[]
The size and weight of the Yankee often contribute to its poor cornering, poor acceleration and poor hill-climbing abilities, but the truck may achieve decent speed on a straight road. The performance and appearances of the Yankee are also slightly different between renditions in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
The Yankee is generally useless due to its performance and susceptibility to rollovers on rough terrain and it has no special features, except that it may be used as a moving "staircase". The player can jump on the hood, and then to the roof of the cab, and then to the container. This can be very useful to reach high places, like hidden packages and weapons, even Easter eggs.
The truck uses a diesel engine with a 5-speed gearbox and a rear-wheel-drive layout, and uses a rather smooth sound similar to the Benson and the Mule.
3D Universe Overview[]
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 99 / 160 | 5 | Diesel | RWD | 4500 / 9921 |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | N/A | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
While the vehicle retains most of the properties from the 3D Universe renditions, the Yankee is powerful to ram small vehicles thanks to its mass, as well as slightly better, more responsive steering due to the short wheelbase, but is still a difficult vehicle to drive. Its suspension is acceptable to sort uneven terrains, but its heavy weight makes it a poor choice off-road, as the wheels will lose traction easily. Its suspension and large size makes it prone to rollover when an obstacle is present, especially on slopes. Its braking appears to be acceptable for a truck of this size.
The Yankee is powered by a twin cam Inline-4 engine, which sounds to be somewhat similar to a high-revving diesel engine, creating a significantly smooth sound similar to the Mule and the Securicar. The engine is coupled to a 6-speed gearbox in a front engine, rear wheel drive layout. Both variants have a mass difference of 7,000 kilograms and a speed difference of ~15.5 mph (25 km/h).
GTA IV Overview[]
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engines | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 65 / 105 | 6 | N/A | RWD | 11000 / 24251 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | 6 | FR DOHC Inline-4 (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
The Yankee appears to combine its performance of the 3D Universe version and the GTA IV box truck model. The truck is able to reach moderate speeds, but has low acceleration and a rigid handling. The truck is, however, resistant to collisions and can sustain a good amount of gunfire.
Liveries[]
3D Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
Grand Theft Auto Vice City[]
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas[]
Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories[]
Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories[]
HD Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
Gallery[]
Design[]
Version History[]
Variants[]
| Image | Vehicle | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Yankee in The Lost and Damned. |
Yankee | An open bed Yankee, also distinguishable by its weathered design (complete with dents and rough bodywork). It only spawns in a dark gray primary color with a light gray secondary color, while the rear bed is painted with a light gray tertiary color. | Mission-only vehicle. |
 The Scrap Truck in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Scrap Truck | The Scrap Truck is a scrap conversion of the Yankee featuring a rear bed with wooden side walls seen with scrap, as well as three axles. It has a rustic appearance similar to the Towtruck. | |
 The Tow Truck in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Tow Truck | The Tow Truck is a towing variant of the Yankee with towing equipment on the rear, a large crane, warning lights and three axles instead of two. It has a rustic appearance similar to the Scrap Truck. | |
| Special variants | |||
 An Ammu-Nation Yankee in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. |
Ammu-Nation variant | A variant of the Yankee bearing an Ammu-Nation livery. The truck is identifiable by its red, white and blue color, as well as a visible blue star on the roof of the cargo compartment and Ammu-Nation's rocket-shaped logo on the sides. Performance is otherwise similar to a regular Yankee. Being a large truck, this variant of the Yankee cannot be resprayed or repaired; neither can the player save the truck in the garage under normal circumstances. The cargo can be collected by the player. | |
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Import/Export - The Yankee is one of the 23 vehicles wanted for the Portland Island portion of the Import/Export side mission.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
- PCJ Playground - Two Yankees appear trying to cut off the player's route while driving through the Ocean Drive back alleys.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- A Volatile Situation - The Sindaccos drive a Yankee with explosives to destroy the Leone Casino.
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
- The player drives one during the mission Harboring a Grudge for Patrick McReary, although the player can park it at a safehouse, kill Packie, and redo the mission.
- Spawned in scripted traffic during the missions "Bleed Out", "Ivan the Not So Terrible", and "If the Price is Right". However, taking one will likely cause mission failure.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
- Store Wars - Parked near the Blitzkrieg Mop store. It can be used to make a roadblock to stop the Spanish Lords from attacking the store.
- Clear the Pier - Used by the Triads sent by Wu "Kenny" Lee.
- Tommy's Random encounters - An Ammu-Nation Yankee is stolen for Tommy during the first encounter. In the second encounter, the same truck is seen crashed into a tree in Northern Gardens.
Locations[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Parked at Portland Harbor.
- Spawns normally around Saint Mark's in Portland.
- Spawns around Staunton Island.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
- Common in Viceport and Escobar International Airport.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- Usually spotted around industrial areas of Los Santos, such as Ocean Docks and Willowfield.
- Found driving around the LVA Freight Depot and Spinybed, Las Venturas.
- Driving around Fallen Tree, Flint County.
- Driving around Octane Springs, Hunter Quarry and over Sherman Dam, Bone County.
- In San Fierro, can be found around the port in Easter Basin.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- Parked at Portland Harbor, near the car park.
- Spawns regularly around Portland and Staunton Island.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Parked among containers near Phil Cassidy's Shooting Range in Viceport.
- Parked near the northernmost empire businesses (There are two empire buildings in the north. The one mentioned here is the one in the west near dirt-bike tracks).
- Usually spawns around Viceport.
Grand Theft Auto IV and Episodes from Liberty City[]
- It rarely can be found in commercial/industrial areas such as BOABO, (Broker), Cerveza Heights (Dukes), and Northwood (Algonquin), Liberty City.
- Sometimes spawns in an industrial yard north on Tinderbox Avenue in Tudor, Alderney; near Honkers. It is parked just behind the blue covered boxes in.
- Another one spawns just around the same building as the previous one, next to a steel barrier. Care should be taken, as it is actually clipping with the barrier and will "jump" when the player makes physical contact with the vehicle, damaging it or being stuck in the process.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
- The standard Yankees are relatively common around Star Junction in Algonquin, as well as around the Cerveza Heights Medical Center in Dukes.
- The Ammu-Nation Yankee starts to appear on the streets after "Pimp His Ride". It typically contains a weapon's cache for a specific weapon that can be acquired through the theft of the vehicle. However, the truck is locked as long as the driver is inside, so players must resort to damaging the truck until the driver exits. From this point on, players may acquire the truck and drive it to a secluded safehouse; killing the shotgun-armed and well armored driver is optional. Once at a safehouse, players will automatically exit the truck, and may weld open the cargo hold for their reward. The truck will remain locked thereafter.
Radio Stations[]
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Yankee plays K-Rose.
- In Grand Theft Auto IV, the default radio stations are grouped by genre. The Yankee uses the "Reggae" group which can play:
- In Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, the default radio stations are grouped by genre. The Yankee uses the "Reggae" group which plays RamJam FM.
- In Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition, the default radio stations are grouped by genre. The Yankee uses the "Reggae" group which can play:
Trivia[]
General[]
- The Yankee has appeared in other Rockstar games: a white Yankee with a dirty blue cargo hold can be found parked in an industrial yard in Bully, while Yankees appear in both Manhunt and Manhunt 2. In all of these appearances, however, it is non-interactive.
- "Yankee" is a slang term for an American. It could be also named after the professional baseball team, the New York Yankees.
- In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, if the player breaks off the rear shutter, it is possible to see the contents of the truck. For example, a fish truck will be carrying crates of fish, a butcher truck will be carrying meat, etc. However, plain trucks tend to be empty.
- The Trashmaster shares its cab with that of the Yankee in GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas and GTA Vice City Stories.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- The Yankee is the only vehicle that has been proven to work with a mission, where the player may obtain a Maverick without using any third party trainer programs. The mission requires the use of the "perfect handling" cheat to be activated, thus giving the truck a jumping capability. Using this the player can use the truck, make it jump on the building, and steal the helicopter.[1]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- It uses the loud truck engine sound, similar to the Linerunner, unlike the other games.
Grand Theft Auto IV and episodes[]
- The Yankee lacks reverse lights.
- The caps of the side fuel tanks are rendered as marker lights. Therefore, if the truck's engine is on, they will be activated as well.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
- The Yankee is one of the three cars seen in cutscenes, along with the Admiral and the Enforcer. Its license plate is AMMU N4T. [ref?]
Oversights[]
Grand Theft Auto IV and episodes[]
- When the truck is repaired at a Pay 'n' Spray (or with a heal pack on Multiplayer), it becomes much slower.