[1] The Cascavel shares many components with the EE-11 Urutu, its armoured personnel carrier counterpart; both entered production in 1974 and are now operated by over 20 nations in South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

[8] Throughout the early 1960s, Brazil's bilateral defence agreements with the United States ensured easy access to a post-war surplus of American military equipment, including a number of World War II-vintage M8 Greyhound armoured cars.

The Brazilian arms industry limited itself to restoring and maintaining this obsolete hardware until 1964 when American involvement in the Vietnam War placed restrictions on the amount of defence technology available for export.

[11] Already in 1966 an article in the military periodical A Defesa Nacional had argued that the state of national automotive industry, highways and Petrobras fuel production made it viable to locally produce an 8–10 ton, 6x6 armoured vehicle,[12] and by 1970 the Brazilian Army was developing an updated Greyhound known simply by its Portuguese initials, CRR (Carro de Reconhecimento sobre Rodas).

[15] Following the Libyan sale, Engesa unveiled a new production model carrying a Belgian designed, Cockerill main gun[8] manufactured under licence as the EC-90 in Brazil.

The armored cars were frequently able to outmaneuver the heavier Iranian Chieftain tanks and tracked combat vehicles on the relatively flat, sandy terrain near the coastal region.

[27] Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the surviving fleet was condemned for scrap; however, American technical personnel did restore thirty-five to working order in 2008 and presented them to the New Iraqi Army.

[22] At least one Zimbabwean Cascavel squadron deployed into Mozambique during the Mozambican Civil War to protect Harare's primary commercial links in Tete Province.

The armoured cars provided armed escort for local convoys and patrolled the roads to preempt attacks by South African-backed Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) insurgents.

At the height of the Cold War, the strictly commercial nature of Engesa sales—devoid of any political supplier restraints—was also perceived as an acceptable alternative to arms from NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

[36] All EE-9 Cascavels have a similar layout—the driver is seated at the front of the vehicle and to the left, turrets are typically fitted above the centre, with motor and transmission situated at the rear.