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1950 Military Land Rover.

[Land Rover 1950 Series-I front, jpg] This very basic ex-army 1950 Land Rover series-one 80" is owned by Lionel Smart of the Victorian Military Vehicles Corps (club). The Land Rover came from Darwin in a "sorry state" - the chassis and alloy flat-bed were beyond repair. The chassis has been replaced with another of the same year and the flat-bed has been reproduced in steel.

[Land Rover rear view, jpg]

The vehicle is believed to have served with Australian Forces in Korea, c1950. It is not known if the Land Rover factory fitted the simple front wings which resemble the military S2A/SIII Light-Weights, or if they were fitted by the army at some later stage of its career, but Lionel has met ex-servicemen who recall driving similar vehicles in the field. Land Rover certainly built many variations at this time, including Rolls Royce engined versions and other experiments.

The rear chassis cross-member carries black-out lights and a unusual military tow hook. The markings are those of Lionel's old unit, not the vehicle's.

[Land Rover interior of cab, jpg]

Inside the cab, note the grab handle, the traditional series-1 instrument panel and the map reading light down and to its left.

By 1950 Land Rover had dropped the free-wheel unit so this is a part-time four wheel drive with the red and yellow levers. It has been fitted with a Holden motor and an automatic gearbox as a temporary measure until one of 1950's vintage can be found to replace it so the gear lever is a temporary "dummy".

The brackets between the seats are to hold a radio set. There is a bracket for a mobile phone on the transmission tunnel but this is definitely not an original military fitting.

Note also the lowered wind-screen - the panel immediately below the glass of most Land Rover series-1's is deleted.

Vehicle Identification Number 06109342

Rear Diff' Housing 06109756

Front Diff' Housing 06109859

The internet four wheel drive magazine would like to hear from any reader who may have information about similar vehicles or other early military Land Rovers,
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Go to the Military vehicles page or the Military Land Rover page