Abstract: A grill guard apparatus for a vehicle with a bumper includes a grill guard pivotally attached at a bottom portion thereof to the bumper about a horizontal pivot axis located vertically between top and bottom edges of the bumper such that the grill guard can pivot about the pivot axis from an upright raised position in front of the vehicle grill to a lowered position extending horizontally forward from the bumper. Portions of the grill guard above the pivot axis bear against the bumper above the pivot axis when the grill guard is in the raised position, and portions of the grill guard below the pivot axis bear against the bumper below the pivot axis when the grill guard is in the lowered position and thereby support the grill guard in the lowered position. A lock mechanism is operative to maintain the grill guard in the raised position.