This sticker was on the back of a Cub Cadet 4X2 Utility Vehicle.

Highly Successful SUV from Mahindra & Mahindra

The keys are in it. How much more of an invitation do you need?

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

STALWART H.M.L.C. FV620 -

The Stalwart H.M.L.C. (High Mobility Load Carrier) FV620 first entered service in 1960 and was manufactured by Alvis in the UK.

ENGINE - The Stalwart is fitted with a Rolls Royce B81 8 cylinder 6.2 litre water cooled petrol engine producing 210bhp at 3,750rpm coupled to a five speed manual gearbox, giving the vehicle a top speed of 45mph on the road.

Although at some time in its history the mechanism has been disabled, the Stalwart was designed to be fully amphibious, being fitted with a Dowty water jet propulsion system. This vehicle is, at the moment, in the early stages of restoration.

ROLE - The Stalwart high mobility 6x6 truck was designed to deliver up to 5 tonnes of supplies throughout the battlefield, in particular ammunition or fuel for the Main Battle Tanks, thus allowing the frontline troops to be resupplied, whatever the conditions.

SPECIFICATIONS -

▪︎Weight: 9 tons

▪︎Maximum payload: 5 tons

▪︎Width: 8 ft 4 in

▪︎Height: 7 ft 5 in

▪︎Length: 20 ft 8 in

▪︎Crew: Driver / Commander + One.

Information sourced from - norfolktankmuseum.co.uk/stalwart-h-m-l-c-fv630/

Highly Successful SUV from Mahindra & Mahindra

Model: Bedford HA Van (HAV 1, 8 cwt)

VIN: 7133842

1. Registration: 1968-03-29

Company: unknown owner (DK)

Fleet No.: -

Nickname: -

License plates: XD96028 (jan. 2009-?)

Previous reg.: YP63244 (?-aug. 1999) earlier history unknown

Later reg.: n/a

Retirement age: still active at time of upload (2017)

Photo location: Motorway 501 (Aarhus Syd Motorvejen), Viby J, Aarhus, DK

This fine little Bedford is still registered for commercial use by an unknown owner (unmarked) after being idle for a decade (1999-2009), the previous license plates may well have been the original enamel plates from 1968. This is the only time I've seen a Bedford HA since the 1970s. Placed in both truck- and car folders, since it falls between categories.

Going up the steep hill leading sw out of Aarhus past Viby and Stautrup. Underpowered and/or heavily loaded trucks often struggle here.

Tip: to locate trucks of particular interest to you, check my collections page, "truck collection" - here you will find all trucks organized in albums, by haulier (with zip-codes), year, brand and country.

Retirement age for trucks: many used trucks are offered for sale on international markets. If sold to a foreign buyer, this will not be listed in the danish motor registry, so a "retired" truck may or may not have been exported. In other words, the "retirement age" only shows the age, at which the truck stopped running on danish license plates.

Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois.

Thursday, January 7, 2016.

The Land Rover Defender (initially called the Land Rover Ninety and Land Rover One Ten) is a British four-wheel-drive off-road utility vehicle developed from the original Land Rover Series launched in June 1948. In October 2013 Land Rover announced that production would end in December 2015 after a continuous run of 67 years. Production finally ended on 29 January 2016 when the last Defender, H166 HUE, rolled off the production line at 9:22. Jaguar Land Rover announced their intention to launch a replacement "new Defender", which motoring journalists speculate will be "quite different" from the original version.

The Mahindra Scorpio final assembly line. This photo was taken with permission at Mahindra's Scorpio assembly line at Nashik during a press tour.

Pink anti-gravity farm vehicle.

Sunday bike ride.

New Plymouth, Taranaki, NZ.

The small crossover utility market continues to be a hot topic as sales increase from active lifestyle consumers seeking solutions that appease their utilitarian needs. With character traits based on athletic styling, inventive utility, fuel efficiency and both advanced connectivity and telematics automakers have set the bar high with vehicles such as the all-new Hyundai Kona. It drives smarter, works swankier and plays harder.

Even in busy Lower Manhattan with increasing number of residents. when the workers head home, some of the vendors put their carts away for the day. The shorter the walk the better. Large units where you see cooks-servers standing up inside are hooked up to SUV utilityvehicles or such, and hauled away somewhere.

Rich GR II f/4 1/200 ISO 400 18mm.

The acronym Unimog came from the German phrase UNIversal-MOtorGerät (universal-power-unit)

www.ankhenterprises.org/Unimogs.htm

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Nicknamed the ''Duck'' the DUKW is an American Six-Wheel-Drive Amphibious Vehicle modified from the 2+1⁄2-ton CCKW Truck, used by the U.S Military during World War Two and the Korean War. Designed by a partnership under Military auspices of Sparkman & Stephens and General Motors Corporation (GMC) the DUKW was used for the transportation of goods and Troops over land and water. Excelling at approaching and crossing beaches in Amphibious Warfare attacks, it was intended only to last long enough to meet the demands of Combat. Surviving DUKW's have since found popularity as tourist craft in marine environments.

The name ''DUKW'' comes from General Motors Corporation model nomenclature:-

D - 1942 production series

U - Utility

K - front wheel drive

W - tandem rear axles, both driven

Decades later, the designation was explained erroneously by writers such as Donald Clarke, who wrote in 1978 that it was an initialism for "Duplex Universal Karrier, Wheeled". The U.S Navy-Marine Corps alternative designation of LVW (Landing Vehicle, Wheeled) was seldom used.

The DUKW was designed by Rod Stephens Jr. of Sparkman & Stephens, Inc. yacht designers, Dennis Puleston, a British deep-water sailor resident in the U.S and Frank W. Speir from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Developed by the National Defense Research Committee and the Office of Scientific Research and Development to solve the problem of 'resupply' to Units which had just performed an amphibious landing, it was initially rejected by the Armed Services.

The DUKW was built around the GMC AFKWX, a cab-over-engine (COE) version of the GMC CCKW Six-Wheel-Drive Military Truck, with the addition of a watertight hull and a propeller, she was powered by a GMC Model 270 4 litre straight-six engine with a five-speed overdrive transmission driving a transfer case for the propeller, then a two-speed transfer case to drive the axles. The propeller and front axle were selectable from their transfer case, a power take-off on the transmission drove an air-compressor and winch. The vehicle weighed 13,000lb empty and operated at 50mph on road and 5.5 knots (6.3 mph) on water.

It was not an Armoured Vehicle, being plated with sheet steel between 1⁄16 and 1⁄8 inch thick to minimize weight. A high-capacity bilge pump system kept it afloat if the thin hull was breached by holes up to 2in in diameter, one in four DUKW's mounted a .50 caliber Browning Heavy Machine Gun on a ring mount. The DUKW was the first vehicle to allow the Driver to vary the tyre pressure from inside the cab, the tyres could be fully inflated for hard surfaces such as roads and less inflated for softer surfaces, especially beach sand. This added to its versatility as an Amphibious Vehicle. This is now a standard feature found on many military vehicles.

When a United States Coast Guard Patrol Craft ran aground on a sand bar near Provincetown, Massachusetts, an experimental DUKW happened to be in the area for a demonstration. With winds up to 69 mph, rain, and heavy surf prevented conventional craft from rescuing the seven stranded Coast Guardsmen, but the DUKW had no trouble, so the Military opposition to the DUKW melted, and later proved its seaworthiness by crossing the English Channel. The final production design was perfected by a few engineers at Yellow Truck & Coach in Pontiac, Michigan. The vehicle was built by Yellow Truck and Coach Co. (GMC Truck and Coach Div. after 1943) at their Pontiac West Assembly Plant and Chevrolet Div. of General Motors Corp. at their St. Louis Truck Assembly Plant, 21,147 units were manufactured before production ended in 1945.

The DUKW was supplied to the U.S Army, U.S Marine Corps and the Allied Forces, and 2,000 were supplied to Britain under the 'Lend-Lease' program, 535 were acquired by Australian Forces, and 586 were supplied to the Soviet Union, which built its own version, the BAV 485, after the war. DUKW's were initially sent to Guadalcanal in the Pacific Theater, but were used by an Invasion Force for the first time in the European Theater, during the Sicilian Invasion, Operation Husky, in the Mediterranean. They were used on the D-Day Beaches of Normandy and in the Battle of the Scheldt, Operation Veritable, and Operation Plunder.

In the Pacific, USMC DUKW's were used to cross the coral reefs of islands such as Saipan and Guam and the tires were not affected by the coral. Some DUKW's used in World War Two were reported to have capsized while landing at Omaha beach during the Normandy Invasion.

DUKW's were also used in Lake Garda in Italy by the 10th Mountain Division in the final days of the war. One sank crossing from Torbole sul Garda to Riva del Garda on the evening of 30th April 1945, 25 out of the 26 onboard died. Two other DUKW's sank without casualties.

▪︎Type: Amphibious Transport

▪︎Place of Origin: United States

▪︎Manufacturer: GMC Truck and Coach Chevrolet

▪︎Produced: 1942 to 1945

▪︎Number Built: 21,1478

▪︎Mass: 13,600lb empty

▪︎Length: 31ft / Width: 8ft / Height: 8ft 10in with top up / 7ft 1in minimum

▪︎Crew: 1

▪︎Main Armament: Ring mount for .50in M2 Browning Machine Gun fitted to one out of four ▪︎DUKW's

▪︎Powerplant: GMC Model 270 91hp

▪︎Payload Capacity: 5,000lb or 24 Personnel

▪︎Suspension: Live axles on leaf springs

▪︎Operational Range: 400 miles on road

▪︎Maximum Speed: 50mph on road / 6.4mph in water.

Information sourced from – en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW

(1941-1945) WILLYS MB

One of the first mass-produced military vehicles in the United States, the Willys MB (and Ford GPW) U.S Army Jeep is the culmination of war-time ingenuity, standardization and strategic personalization for transport of personnel and cargo. Soon to become the ubiquitous, ''world-famous'' Jeep, the Willys MB and Ford GPW models were very effective on the ground, with many standardized features such as 6.00x16 tyres, 60 honest horsepower at 4,000rpm, a gasoline can bracket on the left rear, provisions for trailer lights, spark interference suppression, a blackout light system, twin top bows and sealed spring shackles.

Prior to the production of the MB/GPW, other attempts were made to satisfy the Army's need for a Light Utility Vehicle including the first prototype presented by the American Bantam Car Company. Nicknamed the ''Blitz Buggy'' this vehicle concept which was the first bid accepted by the Army, as it satisfied the Army’s Ordnance Technical Committee specifications that the vehicle has:

▪︎Four-wheel drive.

▪︎Crew of three.

▪︎A wheelbase of no more than 75in and tracks no more than 47in.

▪︎A fold-down windshield.

▪︎A 660lb payload.

▪︎An engine capable of 85 ft lb of torque.

▪︎With an empty weight of no more than 1,300lbs. (590 kg).

While the ''Blitz Buggy'' did satisfy these requirements, Bantam was not able to deliver with the fiscal strength or production capability needed to win the contract with the War Department. As as result, Ford and Willys were asked to product their own pilot models for testing, the results of which would determine the contract. The original pilot models were submitted and named accordingly. The Willys Quad by Willys Overland, the Ford Pygmy by Ford and the BRC 60 by Bantam were accepted and orders were given for 1,500 units per company, with a revised weight limit of 2,160Ib. During these pre-production runs, each vehicle was re-named. The Willys Quad became the “MA”, the Ford Pygmy became the “GP”, and the “BRC 60” became the “BRC 40”. By July of 1941, the War Department, needing standardization, selected Willys-Overland to fulfill its contract, on account of the MA’s powerful engine, silhouette, low bid ($748.74/unit), and because of the company’s ability to fulfill production needs, ordering another 16,000 vehicles.

Absorbing some of the design features of the Bantam and Ford entries, the Willys “MA” was then renamed the Willys “MB”, and featured the powerful “Go Devil” engine and a welded flat iron “slat” radiator grille (which was later replaced by a stamped grille in March of 1942). By October 1941, due to an increased demand for production, Ford was contracted to assist Willys-Overland and changed their model’s name from “GP to “GPW”, with the "W" referring to the "Willys" licensed design. During World War Two, Ford produced some 280,000 of these vehicles.

The MA and early MB's had the “Willys” name stamped into the left rear panel; however, in the spring of 1942, the War Dept. decided not to feature the logo and removed them. Early MB's had a wiper for each side of the windshield, which were hand operated in contrast to later configurations. The windshields also varied slightly. The first 3,500 produced used an MA-type frame, which had a shorter distance between the cowl and the glass frames (4in) The later models had a 6in measurement, and were noticeably taller. In the earlier model MB's, the gas tank still had rectangular lower corners, as opposed to later versions.

While earlier black-out lamps for the MB were used as aids to see other vehicles in the convoy, later MB's feature a large blackout headlamp mounted on the left front fender that was used to help the driver see where he was going. The headlamps on all World War Two Willys MB and Ford GPW Jeeps hinged up so they could illuminate the engine compartment in dark times. In 1942 the MB Jeeps got combat wheels, replacing the original stamped and welded version. Combat wheels were heavier and bolted together to facilitate field repair, and also had the ability to transport the vehicle for a distance with deflated tires. All jeeps had brackets for their pioneer tools mounted on the left side below the entryway.

Rounded rear corners were found on the bodies of all the production Jeeps, both Willys MB and Ford GPW models. All models also featured larger bumperettes, exterior handles for manual extrication from sticky terrain, and two top bows to raise the height of the canvas and keep it from pounding the heads of the front seat occupants. The instrument panels began to look more militarized on the MB and GPW. Instruments were separate (oil pressure, fuel level, ammeter, water temperature, speedometer) had black faces, and were externally illuminated. The in-out lever for the front differential, and the transfer case lever, were on the right side of the transmission lever, as those components had migrated from the left side on the Bantams to the right side on the production models.

Sourced from www.kaiserwillys.com/about_willys_jeep_mb_history_specs

The DKW Munga is an off-road vehicle built by Auto Union which was a partnership between DKW, Horch, Wanderer and Audi. The new company's insignia was the now familiar 4 rings which are still used by Audi. ''Munga'' is a German acronym for ''multi-purpose universal cross-country car with all-wheel drive''.

Production took place between 1956 and 1968 when almost 50,000 vehicles were built. It's 879cc cylinder two stroke engine is remarkably effective even though it sounds like a lawn mower ! Because of its light weight and four-wheel drive it can negotiate the toughest of terrain.

In 1957 the vehicle was used by the West German Armed Forces and Border Police and other foreign military units within NATO. Around 2,000 were aquired by the Dutch Army, many of which were shipped to the UK in the late 1970's. This example was one of these vehicles and was donated to the Museum by a private owner.

Specifications -

▪︎Engine: 3-cylinder inline 980cc, 44bhp

▪︎Speed: 60mph

▪︎Range: 248 miles

▪︎Weight: 1.17 tons

▪︎Transmission: 4 forward, 1 reverse

▪︎Battery: 2 x 12 volt to give 24 volt system

▪︎Crew: 4.

Information from The Muckleburgh Military Collection.

near Mammoth Hot Springs in the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.

1941-1945 WILLYS MB / FORD GPW –

The U.S. Army requested a vehicle, and drove off in a ''Hero'' the Willys MB, its spirit forged by the fire of combat and honed in the heat of battle, seared its way into the hearts of warriors fighting for freedom. Fierce emotional bonds often developed between a soldier and his ''Jeep'' 4x4. The faithful little MB earned a place in every GI's heart, in every area of combat, in every conceivable role.

The tough, simple Jeep 4x4 became the GI's best friend, second only to his rifle. One Jeep MB was even awarded a Purple Heart and sent home. General George C. Marshall, U.S Army Chief of Staff during World War Two, and later U.S. Secretary of State, described the Jeep 4x4 as ''America's greatest contribution to modern warfare'' Scripps Howard World War Two reporter Ernie Pyle once said, ''It did everything. It went everywhere. Was a faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule, and as agile as a goat. It constantly carried twice what it was designed for and still kept going''.

The Willys MB started a revolution in the use of Small Military Motor Vehicles in the U.S. Army, horses along with motorcycles, solo and side car, were rendered obsolete almost immediately. The all-purpose Willys MB was amazingly versatile, they could be fitted with .30 or .50 caliber machine guns for combat and were also widely modified for long-range desert patrol, snow plowing, telephone cable laying, saw milling, as fire-fighting pumpers, field ambulances, tractors and, with suitable wheels, would even run on railway tracks.

Willys MB's could be loaded into transport aircraft for rapid deployment and were also small enough to fit into the large gliders used in the D-Day Invasion of Europe, over the course of the war, customised field kits were developed for winter and desert conditions, deep-water fording and other combat needs. Although the Willys MB was not the first four-wheel-drive vehicle, the Go Anywhere, Do Anything vehicle, but it did influenced every 4x4 built in its wake. The New York Museum of Modern Art includes a Military Jeep Brand 4x4 in its display of eight automobiles and regarded it as “one of the very few genuine expressions of machine art.”

Willys MB / Ford GPW –

▪︎Type – 1⁄4 ton 4x4 Utility Truck

▪︎Place of origin – United States

▪︎In service – 1941 until varying per country

▪︎Used by – USA and its allies of World War Two

▪︎Wars – World War Two, Korean War, Various post 1945 conflicts

▪︎Designer – Karl Probst, Delmar G. Roos

▪︎Designed – 1940 through early 1942

▪︎Manufacturer – Willys-Overland (MB) / Ford (GPW)

▪︎Produced – 1941 to 1945

▪︎Number built – World War Two total = 647,925 including pre-production units – Willys MB: 359,489 / Ford GPW: 277,896

▪︎Variants – Ford GPA ''Seep'' 12,778

▪︎Specifications – (MB and GPW same)

▪︎Mass – 2,453lb, curb weight (with engine fluids and full fuel) 2,337lb dry weight

▪︎Length – 132 1⁄4 inch

▪︎Width – 62 inch

▪︎Height overall with top up – 69 3⁄4 inch reducible to 52 inch

▪︎Crew – 3 to 4

▪︎Main armament – designed to mount .30 or .50 caliber machine guns swiveling on post between front seatbacks

▪︎Secondary armament – towing 37mm anti-tank gun

▪︎Engine – 2.2 litre Inline 4 Willys L134 ''Go Devil'' 60hp

▪︎Power/weight – 54.0hp/ton

▪︎Payload capacity – 1,200lb on-road, 800lb cross-country

▪︎Transmission – 3 speed x 2 range transfer case

▪︎Suspension – live axles on leaf springs front and rear

▪︎Ground clearance – 8 3⁄4 inch

▪︎Fuel capacity – 12.5 imperial gallons

▪︎Operational range – 300 miles

▪︎Maximum speed – 65mph.

Information sourced from – en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willys_MB

Land Rover entered production in 1948 with what has later been termed the ''Series I''. This was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show. It was designed for farm and light industrial use, with a steel box-section chassis and an aluminium body.

Originally the Land Rover was a single model offering, which from 1948 until 1951 used an 80-inch wheelbase and a 1.6-litre petrol engine producing around 50 bhp. The four-speed gearbox from the Rover P3 was used, with a new two-speed transfer box. This incorporated an unusual four-wheel-drive system, with a freewheel unit (as used on several Rover cars of the time). This disengaged the front axle from the manual transmission on the overrun, allowing a form of non- permanent 4WD. A ring-pull mechanism in the driver's footwell allowed the freewheel to be locked to provide more traditional 4WD. This was a basic vehicle, tops for the doors and a roof (canvas or metal) were optional extras. In 1950, the lights moved from a position behind the grille to protruding through the grille.

From the beginning, it was realised that some buyers would want a Land Rover's abilities without the spartan interiors. In 1949, Land Rover launched a second body option called the "Station Wagon", fitted with a body built by Tickford, a coachbuilder known for their work with Rolls-Royce and Lagonda. The bodywork was wooden-framed and had seating for seven people. Tickford was well equipped in comparison with the standard Land Rover, having leather seats, a heater, a one-piece laminated windscreen, a tin-plate spare wheel cover, some interior trim and other options. The wooden construction made them expensive to build. The Tickford was taxed as a private car, which attracted high levels of Purchase Tax unlike the original Land Rover. As a result, fewer than 700 Tickfords were sold, and all but 50 were exported.

In 1952 and 1953, a larger 2.0-litre petrol engine was fitted. This engine has Siamese bores, meaning that there are no water passages for cooling between the cylinders. During 1950, the unusual semi-permanent 4WD system was replaced with a more conventional setup, with drive to the front axle being taken through a simple dog clutch. Around this time the Land Rover's legal status was also clarified. As mentioned above, the Land Rover was originally classed as a commercial vehicle, meaning it was free from purchase tax. However, this also meant it was limited to a speed of 30 mph on British roads. After an appeal to the Law Lords after an owner was charged with exceeding this limit, the Land Rover was classified as a "multi-purpose vehicle" which was only to be classed as a commercial vehicle if used for commercial purposes.

The 1954 model year brought major changes. The 80-inch wheelbase model was replaced by an 86-inch wheelbase model, and a 107-inch wheelbase "pick up" version was introduced. The extra wheelbase was added behind the cab area to provide additional load space. In mid-1954 the "spread bore" petrol engine was introduced (from engine 5710xxxx), allowing better cooling between the cylinders. This had been introduced in the Rover car the year before. The engine was modified again in 1955 (from engine 1706xxxxx), sometimes known as the 'later' spread bore.

September 1955 saw the introduction of the first five-door model, on the 107-inch chassis known as the "station wagon" with seating for up to ten people. The 86-inch station wagon was a three-door, seven-seater. The new station wagons were very different from the previous Tickford model, being built with simple metal panels and bolt-together construction instead of the complex wooden structure of the older Station Wagon. They were intended to be used both as commercial vehicles as people-carriers for transporting workmen to remote locations, as well as by private users. Like the Tickford version, they came with basic interior trim and equipment such as roof vents and interior lights.

The Station Wagons saw the first expansion of the Land Rover range. Station Wagons were fitted with a "Tropical Roof" which consisted of a second roof skin fitted on top of the vehicle. This kept the interior cool in hot weather and reduced condensation in cold weather. Vents fitted in the roof allowed added ventilation to the interior. While they were based on the same chassis and drivetrains as the standard vehicles, Station Wagons carried different chassis numbers, special badging, and were advertised in separate brochures. Unlike the original Station Wagon, the new in-house versions were highly popular

In mid-1956 the wheelbases were extended by 2 inches to 88 inches and 109 inches, and the front chassis cross-member was moved an inch forward, to accommodate the new diesel engine, to be an option the following year. This change was made to all models with the exception of the 107 Station Wagon, which would never be fitted with a diesel engine, and would eventually be the last series I in production. These dimensions were to be used on all Land Rovers for the next 25 years.

In 1957 a brand new 2.0-litre diesel engine was introduced that, despite the similar capacity, was not related to the petrol engines used. The petrol engines of the time used the rather out-dated inlet-over-exhaust valve arrangement; the diesel used the more modern overhead valve layout. This diesel engine was one of the first high-speed diesels developed for road use, producing 52 hp at 4,000 rpm.

Information sourced from en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_series#Series_I

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.

▪︎Year into service: 1980's

▪︎Defender 110 Tithonus Hardtop RHD

▪︎Features include

▪︎2.5 litre NAD diesel reconditioning engine

▪︎5 speed LT 77 gearbox

▪︎Hi / Low transfer box

▪︎Centre diff lock

▪︎Front disc brakes

▪︎Fully integrated Wolf roll cage including front external and rear internal hoop system

▪︎16in rims

▪︎7.50R16 Michelin XZL tyres

▪︎Updated Exmore front seats with head rest

▪︎Rear bench seats x2 with lap belts

▪︎Front and rear, sound proof rubber matting

▪︎Chequer plating to siils and bonnet.

Informed credited to - www.joint-forces.com/land-rovers/37091-mlr44-tithonus-a-s...

Recently, Kourtney and her husband drove their new 2012 Outback to Blue Knob. We loved the feedback she gave us after their trip … “one of my favorite things about Subarus are their versatility in all kinds of weather. I love it and feel like I can go anywhere =) It's my second Subaru, so I'm a fan for life.”

The small crossover utility market continues to be a hot topic as sales increase from active lifestyle consumers seeking solutions that appease their utilitarian needs. With character traits based on athletic styling, inventive utility, fuel efficiency and both advanced connectivity and telematics automakers have set the bar high with vehicles such as the all-new Hyundai Kona. It drives smarter, works swankier and plays harder.

Part ATV...part pick-up truck...1988 was production year

MULE - Multi-Use Light Equipment

1977 Renault Rodeo in Paris

seen while hiking the Bison Pasture Trail located near Sulphur, Oklahoma.

Don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.

My Site - My Focus!

All terrain type vehicle.

The small crossover utility market continues to be a hot topic as sales increase from active lifestyle consumers seeking solutions that appease their utilitarian needs. With character traits based on athletic styling, inventive utility, fuel efficiency and both advanced connectivity and telematics automakers have set the bar high with vehicles such as the all-new Hyundai Kona. It drives smarter, works swankier and plays harder.

STALWART H.M.L.C. FV620 -

The Stalwart H.M.L.C. (High Mobility Load Carrier) FV620 first entered service in 1960 and was manufactured by Alvis in the UK.

ENGINE - The Stalwart is fitted with a Rolls Royce B81 8 cylinder 6.2 litre water cooled petrol engine producing 210bhp at 3,750rpm coupled to a five speed manual gearbox, giving the vehicle a top speed of 45mph on the road.

Although at some time in its history the mechanism has been disabled, the Stalwart was designed to be fully amphibious, being fitted with a Dowty water jet propulsion system. This vehicle is, at the moment, in the early stages of restoration.

ROLE - The Stalwart high mobility 6x6 truck was designed to deliver up to 5 tonnes of supplies throughout the battlefield, in particular ammunition or fuel for the Main Battle Tanks, thus allowing the frontline troops to be resupplied, whatever the conditions.

SPECIFICATIONS -

▪︎Weight: 9 tons

▪︎Maximum payload: 5 tons

▪︎Width: 8 ft 4 in

▪︎Height: 7 ft 5 in

▪︎Length: 20 ft 8 in

▪︎Crew: Driver / Commander + One.

Information sourced from - norfolktankmuseum.co.uk/stalwart-h-m-l-c-fv630/

The Ford WOT 2 (War Office Trucks) was in production throughout WW2 with almost 60,000 manufactured. Most were fitted with a general service body and were used to carry stores, baggage, ammunition and occasionally heavy weapons.

The early models had open cabs with a folding windscreen and canvas tilt. Some had canvas doors while others had a metal door on a wooden frame. Van bodywork vehicles were used as wireless trucks or as fire service vans for the ARP (Air Raid Precautions). At Weybourne Camp a WOT 2 was used as the Cinema Van to transport the film reels and supplies.

The Museum's truck is shown carrying a working Godiva Coventry Climax fire pump which has been used to empty the water fire tank in the museum compound.

Specifications -

▪︎Engine: Ford V8 giving 60bhp

▪︎Transmission: 4 forward, 1 reverse, rear wheel drive

▪︎Speed: 45mph

▪︎Weight: 4,520lb (2 tons)

▪︎Crew: 2 + 6 troops or 1.3 tons of cargo.

Information from The Muckleburgh Military Collection.

The small crossover utility market continues to be a hot topic as sales increase from active lifestyle consumers seeking solutions that appease their utilitarian needs. With character traits based on athletic styling, inventive utility, fuel efficiency and both advanced connectivity and telematics automakers have set the bar high with vehicles such as the all-new Hyundai Kona. It drives smarter, works swankier and plays harder.