View allAll Photos Tagged UtilityVehicle
Photographed at the 16th Annual Plaza Car & Semi Show in Central Park Plaza, downtown Jacksonville, Illinois on June 9, 2012.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 2012 International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois on September 21-23, 2012.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Land Rover 110 Defender 4x4 Utility Vehicle
The British Land Rover, one of the most influential and much-loved British vehicles of all time, was launched in 1948 and remained in production with much the same basic specification until 1983 when the Series 3 109 inch was replaced by a new One-Ten model (110 inch wheelbase). The traditional Land Rover body shape remained but coil springs, introduced in the new Range Rover, replaced the long-lived leaf spring suspension, and the four cylinder engines were fitted with an all-synchromesh five speed gearbox. In 1984 the coil spring Ninety (with a wheelbase just short of 93 inches) fitted with a four cylinder engine was introduced. A V8-powered version appeared the following year and in 1986 a new 85bhp, 2495cc turbo-diesel engine became available, then in 1990 the Ninety and One-Ten range was renamed Defender 90, 110 and 130. Not surprisingly the new Land Rovers proved popular for Military use and UK Ministry of Defence.
Land Rover has a range of specialised Defence Vehicles including the Defender FFR (Fitted for Radio) model, a platform to provide modern Defence Forces with a flexible and highly-mobile range of Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) roles. The vehicle combines an upgraded dual-voltage power supply and full electrical suppression with the acclaimed all-terrain performance of the Land Rover Defender. It is capable of transporting sensitive electronic equipment safely through challenging conditions in support of C4i operations, and is also effective as a carrier of electronic surveillance and electronic counter-measures technology.
To support the power demands of the latest electronic equipment, the new Defender FFR features a new electrical architecture with a dual 12v / 24v power supply, replacing the 24v system of the previous model. The total output is raised from 100 amps to 280 amps, enabling a significant increase in the amount of C4i equipment that can be operated. Two high-output 12v glass mat, air-transportable military specification batteries are fitted, giving improved engine cranking at lower temperatures. The batteries are now stowed under the rear floor, releasing extra space in rear body for equipment. All of the Defender FFR’s electrical systems are fully suppressed in accordance with the most stringent test standards (including Def Stan 59-411 Class A and Mil Std 461F) enabling C4i equipment to be installed without further suppression work.
The operational performance of the Defender FFR is further enhanced by the standardisation of a heavy duty 3500kg chassis, providing improved payload capability, and the fitment of a new 90kW 2.4-litre diesel engine which offers over 35% more torque than the previous model.
Additional improvements include a more spacious and efficient driving environment with a new ergonomic dashboard design, and a foldable forward-facing radio operator’s seat with integral headrest and 3-point safety belt for improved comfort and safety.
Sources from :
www.classicdriver.com/en/car/land-rover/defender/1987/691401
www.army-technology.com/contractors/vehicles/land-rover/p...
Photographed at the Paws and Power Dog Party and Car Show at Southwind Park in Springfield, Illinois on September 9, 2012. The event is hosted by the Springfield Parks Foundation and the Animal Protective League.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the Loco-Motion Cruise-In in Chatham, Illinois on August 18, 2012. Proceeds benefit the Chatham Railroad Museum.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 43rd Annual Labor Day Celebration Classic Car Show in Greenview, Illinois on September 2, 2013. The event is sponsored by the Route 97 Cruisaders Car Club.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Creator: Unidentified.
Location: Boulia region, Queensland.
Description: Watching the horseracing at the racecourse at Goodwood Station.
View the original image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/99451
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/research-collections
You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.
Photographed at the 12th Annual Cool Cruisers/New Berlin Fire Department Car Show in New Berlin, Illinois on July 28, 2012.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the First Annual New Salem Shrine Club Car Show in Petersburg, Illinois on September 15, 2012.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 43rd Annual Labor Day Celebration Classic Car Show in Greenview, Illinois on September 2, 2013. The event is sponsored by the Route 97 Cruisaders Car Club.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the Annual Fred Britenstine Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show on the Square in Virden, Illinois on June 18, 2011.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the First Annual New Salem Shrine Club Car Show in Petersburg, Illinois on September 15, 2012.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 16th Annual Plaza Car & Semi Show in Central Park Plaza, downtown Jacksonville, Illinois on June 9, 2012.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the Annual Fred Britenstine Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show on the Square in Virden, Illinois on June 18, 2011.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs thoughtfully organized into albums, and presented by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 2011 International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois on September 23-25, 2011.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs thoughtfully organized into albums, and presented by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 29th Annual Nostalgic Indoor Invitational Auto Show at Avanti's Dome in Pekin, Illinois on March 30, 2013. The show is presented by the Early Ford V-8 Club of America Regional Group #51.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 2nd Annual Car Cruise and Cookout in Taylorville, Illinois on June 1, 2013.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
A Jeep shaped motor lorry for maintenance and other non passenger services. This one was pulled by hand towards the shed at Tenom and obviously in need for repair.
These women were standing in the back of the bakkie watching their menfolk transfer a motor from a damaged fishing boat to another that didn't look much less damaged to me.
Photographed at the 29th Annual Nostalgic Indoor Invitational Auto Show at Avanti's Dome in Pekin, Illinois on March 30, 2013. The show is presented by the Early Ford V-8 Club of America Regional Group #51.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
My brother, one of my sons, and I spent a couple of days putting in new fence-posts and paving around my mother's home.
The ''Pink Panther'' often referred to as the ''Pinkie'' is a heavily customised Land Rover Series IIA built for British Special Air Service desert warfare operations in the Middle East. The SAS are globally renowned as being one of the single toughest and most effective special forces units in the world, so building them a 4x4 exclusively for desert use was no small undertaking.
The choice of pink may seem strange but it was discovered that it was the most effective colour for camouflaging vehicles in the desert, particularly in the dawn and dusk parts of the day. The story goes that an aircraft had been painted pink in order to make it highly visible, it crashed and proved impossible to find in the desert sands. It was later discovered entirely by accident.
The first SAS vehicles had been American Jeeps during World War Two, they’d be used for sabotage and reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines and they’d proven to be highly capable. In 1968 the British Ministry of Defence bought 72 examples of the Series IIA long wheelbase Land Rovers (the 109) it was officially known as ''Truck, General Service, 3/4 Ton'' or ''FV 18064''. These factory-stock 109's were sent to Marshalls of Cambridge for conversion to SAS specification.
The basic outline of this desert preparation included the following - four fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 100 gallons, a heavy duty chassis, heavy duty suspension, sand tyres, differential guards front and back, and a spare tyre was mounted to the front. Both doors and the windscreen were removed, as was the roof (this example has a soft top). Rifle boxes were added along with shovels, jerry cans, and sand ladders. For military purposes the vehicles were equipped with a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) an anti-tank weapon, rifles, grenade holders, smoke canisters front and rear, navigation equipment, and spotlights front and back.
The ''Pinkies'' came from Marshalls painted bronze green, but for SAS desert service they were painted in light pink, typically including the wheels and even the tires. It’s hard to know what the enemy combatants in the desert must have thought because they’re no longer with us, but it must have been a sight to behold seeing a bright pink truck come roaring over the sand dunes full of decidedly well-trained SAS operatives.
Most of the original 72 Pink Panthers didn’t survive their military service, and those that did (approximately 20) are now amongst the most famous and highly-sought after Land Rovers in the world. Many replicas have been made, but when an authentic Pinkie comes up for public sale word of it spreads like wildfire across the Land Rover world, and the classic car world to a degree. An original genuine 1968 Land Rover Series IIA ''Pink Panther'' would probably be worth in the region of £65,000 plus, so start saving !
Information sourced from - silodrome.com/sas-land-rover-pink-panther-pinkie/
Photographed at the 24th Annual Ansar Shrine Classic Car Unit Car Show in Lincoln Park, Springfield, Illinois on June 10, 2012.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the Culver's Cruise in Springfield, Illinois on June 27, 2010. The cruise is a monthly summertime event put on by the Central Illinois Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs thoughtfully organized into albums, and presented by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 28th Annual Delavan Fall Festival Open Car Show in Delavan, Illinois on September 3, 2012.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 64th Secretary of State Vehicle Show in Springfield, Illinois on September 7, 2013.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs thoughtfully organized into albums, and presented by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 43rd Annual Labor Day Celebration Classic Car Show in Greenview, Illinois on September 2, 2013. The event is sponsored by the Route 97 Cruisaders Car Club.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 29th Annual Old Settlers Association Open Car Show in Hillsboro, Illinois on August 12, 2012.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the Culver's Cruise in Springfield, Illinois on June 24, 2012. The cruise is a monthly summertime event put on by the Central Illinois Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
According to the owner, this is one of three known open cab power wagons manufactured by the P.E. Van Pelt Fire Engine Company of Oakdale, California (19235-1987). It is believed to have served Walnut Creek, California.
Photographed at the 1st Annual Scheels & Shields Fundraiser Emergency Vehicle Show in Springfield, Illinois on May 5, 2012. The event is sponsored by Scheels, Quaker Steak & Lube, and the Police Car Owners of America, and benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival Car Show in Lincoln, Illinois on August 25, 2013. The event is sponsored by the Railsplitter Antique Auto Club.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
The successor to the successful series I was the series II, which saw a production run from 1958 to 1961. It came in 88 in and 109 in wheelbases (normally referred to as the 'SWB' and 'LWB'). This was the first Land Rover to receive the attention of Rover's styling department. Chief Stylist David Bache produced the familiar 'barrel side' waistline, with a 5 in greater width to cover the vehicle's wider tracks, as well as the improved design of the truck cab variant, introducing the curved side windows and rounded roof still used on current Land Rovers.
The series II was the first vehicle to use the well-known 2.25-litre petrol engine, although the first 1,500 or so short wheelbase (SWB) models retained the 52 hp 2.0-litre petrol engine from the series I. This larger petrol engine produced 72 hp and was closely related to the 2.0-litre diesel unit still in use. This engine became the standard Land Rover unit until the mid-1980's when diesel engines became more popular.
The 109 in series II station wagon introduced a twelve-seater option on top of the standard ten-seater layout. This was primarily to take advantage of U.K tax laws, by which a vehicle with 12 seats or more was classed as a bus, and was exempt from Purchase Tax and Special Vehicle Tax. This made the twelve-seater not only cheaper to buy than the 10-seater version, but also cheaper than the seven-seater 88 in Station Wagon. The twelve-seater layout remained a highly popular body style for decades, being retained on the later series and Defender variants until 2002, when it was dropped.
The unusual status of the twelve-seater remained until the end, such vehicles were classed as minibuses and thus could use bus lanes and (if registered correctly) could be exempt from the London Congestion Charge. There was some degree of overlap between series I and II production. Early series II 88 in vehicles were fitted with the old 2-litre petrol engine to use up existing stock from production of the series I. The 107 in Station Wagon continued until late 1959 due to continued demand from export markets and to allow the production of series-II components to reach full level.
General characteristics -
▪︎Manufacturer: Land Rover
▪︎Production: 1958 to 1961
▪︎Body Style: 2-door Off-road vehicle / 4-door Off-road vehicle / 2-door Pickup
▪︎Engine: 2.0 L petrol I4 / 2.25 L petrol I4 / 2.0 L I4 diesel
▪︎Transmission: 4-speed manual
▪︎Wheelbase: 88.0 in (SWB) / 109.0 in (LWB)
▪︎Length: 142.4 in (SWB) / 175.0 in (LWB)
▪︎Width: 66.0 in
▪︎Height: 77.5 in (SWB) / 81.0 in (LWB)
▪︎Predecessor: Land Rover series I
▪︎Successor: Land Rover series IIA.
Information sourced from - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_series
When the UK MoD procured the current military Land Rover fleet in 1996, the coil-sprung turbo-diesel inter-cooled engine Defender HS/XD or ‘Wolf’ version which primarily replaced the last of the leaf-sprung and petrol engined Series III fleet mostly built between 1971 and 1984, they also had on strength several thousand naturally aspirated diesel engine pre-Defender (mostly) long and short wheelbase Land Rovers mainly built around 1985-87. As these mid-80's vehicles had a planned service life of 15 years plus an expectation of a few more years in reserve stocks, only 8,000 of the Wolf model (plus 800 similarly engined stretched wheelbase Pulse Ambulances) were procured. However by 2006/7 the roughly 4,000-strong pre-Wolf fleet was both overdue for replacement and also assessed as being no longer compliant with the latest road safety regulations. Tithonus was a means of temporarily solving these issues without buying a fleet of new vehicles.
There is no doubt that UK MoD got its money’s worth with the pre-Wolf Land Rover fleet, which saw active service in quantity in the 1991 Gulf War and on following operations in the Former Yugoslavia, though it was mostly the Wolf which stepped up to the plate for the later conflicts in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq, but by 2007 the now 20-year old fleet was getting a little jaded and most of the short wheelbase models had been replaced by their younger Tdi-powered siblings. However the option of buying more Wolf Land Rovers was no longer on the table, as not only had this model only ever been produced for the UK Forces and that part of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps designated to work alongside the Royal Marines, but once the original contract was fulfilled UK MoD expressed no willingness to support Land Rover in keeping the specialist Wolf jigs and pressings in store for future contracts. In 2007 there was no budget available to allow competitive trials, as required under EU rules, for a new vehicle fleet. The option of a mid-life upgrade for the best of the ageing fleet was, however, deemed viable.
It was therefore decided that around £10 million would be spent on cosmetically sprucing up the best 3,700 or so of the remaining pre-Wolf Land Rover fleet to theoretically extend in-service life to over thirty years. That figure, which works out at around £2,700 per vehicle, had to include fitting a new Wolf-style roll-over cage and bodywork strengthening fitments to the rear compartment plus fitting either a new Wolf-style hard top or canopy, and external protection bars also had to be added to the cab as well as a new paint job applied to make the vehicles look a bit smarter. It was suspected that the £10 million figure did not include ABRO staff wages and when the project team were questioned at DVD 2007 they admitted there was no money in the budget for major mechanical upgrades. The brief was simply: To repair the vehicles to field standard, refurbish bulkheads and chassis, renew all brake components, wheel bearings, hub seals and shock absorbers, wax inject chassis and bulkhead, repaint the vehicle and underseal the chassis.
The external inverted safety hoop over the windscreen was bolted to the the door and windscreen hinges and through the wing top and the two welded tubes which ran above and parallel to the door tops were connected through the new hard top to the front internal roll cage hoop by a single bolt. This bolted construction allowed for the top to be removed and the vehicle to be stripped down to waist height for reduced silhouette in combat environments, where safety from enemy attack naturally takes precedence over peacetime road safety considerations. Turning to the rear roll cage cum canopy support, looked quite similar to that of the 1997/8 Wolf model, but it was actually re-engineered by Ricardo to make it stronger. Marketed by the company as ROPS (Roll Over Protection System) the most noticeable internal difference of strengthening was the cross-bracing behind the cab.
Each Tithonus Land Rover was individually selected and fully refurbished by the MoD in 2007-2008 as part of the British Army LEP (Life Extension Programme) The project was to extend the overall service life of the Land Rover's by 10 years, from 20 to 30 years.
Vehicle data -
▪︎Make - Land Rover
▪︎Model - 110 Defender Tithonus Fitted for Radio (FFR)
▪︎Year of manufacture - 1986
▪︎Nationality - British
▪︎Engine - 4 cylinder 2.5 litre diesel, producing approximately 69bhp
▪︎Fuel - Diesel, approximately 25mpg
▪︎Transmission - LT77 5-speed gearbox
▪︎History - Was in military service from 1986 to 2012. The vehicle was bought by the owner in 2015.
(Information from owner).
Informed credited to - www.joint-forces.com/land-rovers/37091-mlr44-tithonus-a-s...
Photographed at the 15th Annual McLean County Antique Auto Club Exhibition on the grounds of the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington, Illinois on August 6, 2011. The event is co-sponsored by the David Davis Mansion Foundation.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 2013 International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois on September 27-29, 2013.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find over 10,000 car and truck photos organized in albums by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 43rd Annual Labor Day Celebration Classic Car Show in Greenview, Illinois on September 3, 2012. The event is sponsored by the Route 97 Cruisaders Car Club.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Ergonomically shaped controls, such as the gear selection lever, make operation easier. The range control fits your hand naturally, so shifting ranges are easier and more comfortable. The travel control pedal is easy to operate with your toe or heel. All other controls are within easy reach of the operator.
Photographed at the Annual Fred Britenstine Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show on the Square in Virden, Illinois on June 18, 2011.
Please visit my collection of Motor Vehicles on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs thoughtfully organized into albums, and presented by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
Photographed at the 12th Annual Cool Cruisers/New Berlin Fire Department Car Show in New Berlin, Illinois on July 28, 2012.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.
The AEC Militant (aka ''Milly'') was a post-war development by AEC of the AEC Matador Artillery Tractor used during World War Two. Externally the most noticeable development was the cab, which was considerably enlarged. Unlike the Matador only six-wheel versions were produced. Four-wheel versions are extant, but they are probably conversions and one is a Matador with a Mk.I Militant cab. Other changes included the fitting of a larger, 11.3-litre 6-cylinder, diesel engine and the use of a steel frame for the cab, rather than the ash (fraxinus) wood frame of the Matador. The Militant Mk.I was produced in 6x4 and 6x6 form. Although primarily intended as a replacement for the Matador Artillery Tractor, other variants included an Articulated Lorry Tractor Unit, a General Service or Cargo Lorry with a longer wheelbase and as a chassis for mounting various Cranes, usually supplied by Coles.
The Militant served with the British Army and some other Armies in most parts of the world, it was intended as an improved Artillery Tractor, but after World War Two, the development of large Artillery Pieces was gradually dropped in favour of more effective Rockets and Missiles, making this role largely redundant during the Militant's service life. Crews had mixed views of the Militant, because it had no power steering, it took considerable effort to turn the steering wheel at slow speeds and in difficult conditions. However, it was credited with a good cross-country performance and was often used to recover the six-wheel drive Alvis Stalwart Amphibious Lorries that bogged in difficult conditions. (The Mk.III did have a power assist Steering Ram). Most variants were fitted with a chassis-mounted winch that was driven through the gearbox, this was intended for manoeuvering of the Towed Field Gun and for self-recovery of the vehicle, proved extremely strong and reliable. The Militant gained the nickname ''Knocker'' from its Military Crews which may have been due to the rhythmic sound of the slow-revving engines.
The ''Knocker'' was the nickname of the Mk.I and the one Mk.I CALM was still in service with each RCT Transport Squadron until the AEC fleet was replaced by the Bedford 14 Tonne 6x6 in the early 1990's. AEC Mk.III Recovery Trucks were replaced by Foden GS Recovery 6x6. Many Militants were sold off by the Army in the 1970's and were purchased as Heavy Recovery Vehicles or for forestry use by civilian operators. They were not as popular for forestry operations as their predecessor the Matador because the extra length and an extra axle made them less manoeuvrable in confined spaces. However, some users simply shortened the chassis and removed one axle, effectively creating a more powerful version of the Matador. AEC MK.I Militant's were still in service as late as 1985, the MK.III's were still in service as late as 1990.
▪︎Type: Medium / Heavy Artillery Tractor / Multi-Purpose Support Vehicle / 10-ton Cargo Truck
▪︎Place of Origin: United Kingdom
▪︎Designer & Manufacturer: AEC (Associated Equipment Company)
▪︎Produced: 1952 to 1964
▪︎Number Built: 3,200
▪︎Variants: O859 (6x4) / O860 (6x6)
▪︎Mass: Unladen 10.3 to 10.5 tons / Length: 24ft 1in / Width: 8ft / Height: 9ft 8in
▪︎Powerplant: AEC A223 straight-six diesel engine, 150bhp
▪︎Drive: 6x4 or part time 6x6
▪︎Transmission: 5F1Rx2
▪︎Suspension: Live axles on semi-elliptical multi-leaf springs inverted at the rear
▪︎Maximum Speed: 25mph.
Information sourced from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEC_Militant#:~:text=The%20AEC%20Mi...(or%20%22Milly,six%2Dwheel%20versions%20were%20produced.
Photographed at the 1st Annual Scheels & Shields Fundraiser Emergency Vehicle Show in Springfield, Illinois on May 5, 2012. The event is sponsored by Scheels, Quaker Steak & Lube, and the Police Car Owners of America, and benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.
Please visit my Motor Vehicles Collection on Flickr where you will find more than 10,000 photographs that have been thoughtfully categorized into dozens of sets, and carefully organized by model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and more. This project, which began in 2008, continues to expand with new material added daily.