Sunday 6 January 2013

Can We Fix It?




 
 

No.
The sad truth is that, despite my legendary optimism, even I know this has gone 'beyond'.
However, I'm wondering if any of my readers can identify the vehicle, here are a few clues. Rolls-Royce engine. 4WD. Transfer box on rear axle, Torsion-bar suspension.
In Texas, I saw vehicles much older than this in retrievable condition. But what we see here is a result of fifty or so years on a headland, on the fierce Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point of mainland Scotland, beautiful, but bleak. Salty air and sea-fogs, enemies of metal vehicles.



Update, Monday 7th January:  The Winner is......................... THE PIRATE!!!  
100% spot-on accurate identification. 
However, the Champ was only made from 1952-1956, it was discontinued long before BLMC took over the Rover car company in 1968. There was a civilian variant, but only about 500 vehicles were sold, the military, both U.K and Australian, bought almost all the champs ever built. 
The 'sealed unit' engine is a bit of a misnomer, the axles and gearboxes were sealed, as were the instruments, and you could drive the early ones in 2'6" of water without further modification. Later ones, only 1'3", if I recall. But, with a bit of effort, you could fit 'wading plugs' and a few other bits, including a snorkel, and the champ would drive along, fully submerged. For a while. Then you'd have a heap of maintenance before continuing. Why such a short life? Well, apart from offering a comfortable ride, the champ did little that a Land-Rover couldn't do, at half the price. The army found Land Rovers to be more versatile, so the Champ contract was cut short. When the army wanted no more, the champ production line stopped forever. 
Commended: This award goes to Relax-Max, for identifying the manufacturer. 
Lee: Hobbits? Ach, they're machine-phobic luddites! 

12 comments:

  1. That's a poser. A smallish looking 4wd with a Rolls Royce engine would almost have to be something military. I thinks. Something by Austin?

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's look an old Formula-One

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Pirate says Austin Champ. When BMC bought out Landrover in 1967/8 the Austin Champ was discontinued.
    It was never sold commercially, and was solely for military use.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ps...it would confirm it if the RR engine was a sealed unit

    ReplyDelete
  5. It could have been a Hobbit machine...

    ReplyDelete
  6. And the Winner is......................... THE PIRATE!!!
    100% spot-on accurate identification. However, the Champ was only made from 1952-1956, it was discontinued long before BLMC took over the Rover car company in 1968.
    There was a civilian variant, but only about 500 vehicles were sold, the military, both U.K and Australian, bought almost all the champs ever built.
    The 'sealed unit' is a bit of a misnomer, the axles and gearboxes were sealed, as were the instruments, and you could drive the early ones in 2'6" of water without further modification. Later ones, only 1'3", if I recall. But, with a bit of effort, you could fit 'wading plugs' and a few other bits, including a snorkel, and the champ would drive along, fully submerged. For a while.
    Then you'd have a heap of maintenance before continuing.

    Why such a short life? Well, apart from offering a comfortable ride, the champ did little that a Land-Rover couldn't do, at half the price. The army found Land Rovers to be more versatile, so the Champ contract was cut short. When the army wanted no more, the champ production line stopped forever.


    Commended: This award goes to Relax-Max, for identifying the manufacturer.

    Lee: Hobbits? Ach, they're machine-phobic luddites!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suppose my guess would have been disqualified since I had insider information ...

      xxx

      Delete
    2. It wouldn't be a 'guess', then.
      Hold it!
      There must be a mole in my organisation, leaking top-secret information...... oh yes. Well, that would be me; 'The Industrious Mole' is/was one of my alter-egos.

      My next mystery question, I promise, will be un-pre-leaked.

      xxx

      Delete
  7. My ex and I had a 1948 Land Rover...it had a reconditioned Holden motor put in it by the previous owner. We bought it when we were living at the coast years ago; and we used it as our fishing/camping vehicle when we'd go driving up along the beach at a place called "Teewah" on the way up to Double Island Point...north of Noosa Heads, here in south-east Queensland. We removed the top off the old girl...painted her bright red and gave her the name of "Fy a Truck"! The astute and some not so astute got our meaning!

    We had lots of fun in the vehicle...it had a winch on the front and another on the back. We could get it full of sand, fish scales, bait; and then we'd just hose it out and we'd put the garden sprinkler underneath it for a while after we arrived back home to wash all the salt and sand off. Right vehicle for the job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PTO-driven capstan winch?

      A 1948 80", with the tractor lights behind the grille, worth quite a bit now, £25,000, one went for in november.
      First year of production, only 3000 or so made, most were exported.
      Australia received them partially assembled, or, "CKD"-Completely Knocked Down, in the form of a chassis and a couple of crates of bits. In Queensland, a company called Annund and Thompson assembled them. However, a 1948 80" would almost certainly have been ordered by the Australian government, and supplied as a built up vehicle, with wheels, hood, windscreen etc, in a big crate. It was cheaper to ship them that way.

      Delete
  8. I wanted one of them as a kid. There was a dinky one about and I always wanted a real one, still do!

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    Replies
    1. I wanted the Dinky one too. Dropped lots of big hints, but Santa wasn't listening.
      I did have... still have, the 25-pounder gun that it could tow. And the gun can still shoot matchsticks. We used to shoot them diagonally at the garage wall, at cowboys, indians, and knights. If the match-head hit the wall just right, it would strike.

      Until we got caught, and got walloped for playing with matches.
      Instead of being praised for scientific experimenting.
      So unfair.

      Delete


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