1946 - 1959 The Post War Years (Page 1 of 2)
these years included “National service” and first Cold War years
There are too many vehicles (and still some to come) to fit onto just one page, So the 1946 to 1959 “War years” page has been split into two.
This is the first part...
Volkswagens:
Volkswagen (with Factory under British Command by Major Ivan Hirst of the REME) was given orders to make vehicles for the Army in the first post-war years. The first off the production line were the 1941 designed “Wehrmacht Typ 87 Allrad” and ideal for off road use. The Army also took a conventional rear wheel drive version and later a new van like vehicle based on the same floor-pan and based on an Idea by a Dutch engineer Ben Pon, called the T2 Transporter (Beetles were the T1) .
Austin Champ (Nuffield Gutty & Wolseley Mudlark):
The Austin Champ used a Rolls-Royce motor and was “Purpose built” for the Army, but despite its toughness was found to be too expensive (compared to its temporary place holder the Land Rover) and orders soon dwindled out. The body shape is based on the Wolseley Mudlark which looked virtually Identical to the Champ, except having rounded wings and a smooth bonnet and that (the Wolseley Mudlark) in turn was based on 1947 made prototypes called “Gutty’s” from Nuffield
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Main optical difference between Mudlark and Champ is visible in the wings and bonnet
A true Champ, In Sun, Rain and Snow, on exercise we must Go....
The horror of many a NS Serviceman who got stroppy in the local bar, was the arrival of a single Champ Monkey wagon full with twenty “six-foot tall” RMPs, or was it six “twenty-foot tall” ones? - Never heard any Serviceman admit to being arrested by anything less. (In this drawing and the Firefly one, I have managed to work out how to turn on the headlights, also now improved them in the deep snow version above...)
More Champs can be found in the special Champs page or in the Armoured and Tracked, or Bluelights, (Police, Fire, or Ambulance) pages.
Land Rover Series I (1948 - 1958) 80”/88”:
1948 saw the introduction of the Series 1 (often called the “Mark 1” because under the Series 1 there were Several Improvements and Mk versions) Land Rover which was made from 1948 to 1958.
The earlier models had the headlights behind the grill, side lights under the front window frame, and a canvas flap for getting to the inside only door handles from the outside, and Signalling, or if you were lucky, retrospectively fitted electro-mechanical Semaphore Signals.
The later model had the shaped grill making it easier to clean the headlights, sidelights on the front of the wings, and this one even has retrospective added front wing Blinkers. The side flap in the door however was still needed to get to the inside mounted door handles. The Land Rover was not the army’s first choice of vehicle, and in fact considered a stop-gap measure for a maximum of five years. Making some nicer versions (warm and dry hard tops) helped to keep the Generals sweet and also helped create a long term customer relationship...
Series 1 clones (Licenced copies) made and used by our NATO partners:
The Belgium company Minerva made Land Rovers for the Belgium army and police forces. Also making some later for the Dutch Army.
The Minerva had an all steel body and a characteristic sloped front wing shape. The rear tub was rounded similar to the jeep
The German Company Tempo made Land Rovers for the inter-zone Border Patrol and when they joined NATO also for the new Bundeswehr (German Federal Army) it had rounded front wings like the UK model, but in them were two useful tool bins (One seen here open and one closed) for tools, ropes and jacks, etc.
The tempo also had a deeper body wall and a sloped back edge to the one piece doors. Indicators came as a standard as did individual hinged light grills to protect the headlights. Even the earliest models (Here with British Occupation Zone number-plate) had illuminated trafficators (Semaphore indicators) built into the side of the front wings, then the Germans were more safety conscious than the UK and introduced stricter rules a lot earlier. Other licenced clones were/are made in Turkey, Iran, Spain and South America.
Although Series II was launched in 1958, it was not very common until 1960 / 1961, so for illustrations of the Series 2, please see the V-1960-1979 page
