Land Rover S1

Post-war, Rover continued to make their quality, if rather staid range of cars. Beautifully engineered, they had relied heavily on their middle class home market before the war and were suffering with steel shortages, the Ministry of Supply allowing only a certain number of home market sales per year in a bid to boost exports and claim the much needed influx of foreign cash.

It occurred to Maurice Wilks, Rover's Managing Director, that they should use more aluminium in their vehicles. There was plenty of that around thanks to its common usage in the aviation industry and he had also been toying with design ideas to replace his trusty Jeep that was used as a work horse around his Pembroke Estate. The combination of a simple robust chassis and aluminium panels in a Jeep-like vehicle was a masterstroke, the resultant vehicle still in production some 65 years on.

This October 1951 Land Rover 80" soft top may well have spent its first few years in the military, as an Experian check reveals that it was previously registered EEW 153C which is a number that would not have been issued until 1965. A 2-litre petrol-engined model, it starts well and runs smoothly with commendably strong brakes and direct steering although it has only been lightly used on private land in recent years, the last MOT expiring in 2007.

The correct front seats have been retrimmed at some point and it is also fitted with two bench seats in the back.  It has clearly been well looked after, has free wheeling hubs fitted, whilst the panel work is in good straight order with replacement door tops and a good tilt. The doors open and shut nicely and the vendor advises us that the chassis and bulkhead appear sound.

Just the job for getting to those out of the way places, or running the family down to the pub on a hot summer's day, these Series 1s are incredibly cheap and easy to run and very handy to have around.