BIG BOYZ TOYZ
EX-MILITARY LAND ROVERS
Fancy something rough, tough and synonymous with
the British Army? Get yourself an ex-military Land Rover!
F
ollowing last month’s
Big Boyz Toyz, which
was an intro into what
sort of military hardware
is available, I was really
spoilt for choice as to where to go
next. But in terms of something
that’s affordable, usable every day
if necessary, with low(ish) running
costs and which doesn’t require a
specialist licence, it has to be exmilitary Land Rovers.
The military Land Rover has been
a familiar sight on UK, Western
European and Middle Eastern
roads for many a year, and in many
different guises.
036
November 2011
Why Land Rover?
During World War Two, Willy’s
Jeeps and Chevrolet trucks were the
mainstay of the British Army light and
general service vehicles. They were
used by both regular forces and, more
famously, in Special Forces long-range
operations. The British Government
needed a vehicle of its own to do
this work and commissioned Project
FV1800. The first prototype was
shown in 1945 but, due to constant
specification changes, did not enter
production until the early 1950s. This
vehicle was the Austin Champ.
In 1949 the British Army purchased
a trial batch of Series 1 Land Rovers,
which they found complemented the
Austin Champ. The Land Rover was
cheaper, lighter and more economical
than the Champ and was found to be
an ideal multi-role vehicle.
Over a period of time the Land Rover
was modified and became better suited
to the British Army’s needs. Production
of the Austin Champ ceased after
its initial contract of five years, but
the Army has continued to buy Land
Rovers in all formats. Military Land
Rovers have been in service with many
nations around the world including
Spain, Holland, Australia and Oman –
even the US Rangers adopted them
recently.