Land Rover Hybrid and Sankey Trailer

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For most people, a factory built Land Rover is more than capable of doing everything they could ask. For some though, more extreme ventures are envisaged, requiring more ‘kit’ and equipment and even better cross-country ability.

For those few, a common practice has been to pick the most suitable parts and assemble the perfect Land Rover for the job. Around 15 years ago, this hybrid was put together in just such a way, using a donor Range Rover as a basis.

The vendor believes that the chassis was shortened and a ‘Series’ rear cross member put into place. Retaining the Range Rover axles (with their high ratio differentials) and four-speed permanent four-wheel drive, a 3.9-litre V8 petrol with LPG conversion and tubular manifolds with a stainless exhaust has also been fitted (although bidders are advised that the vendor has never tested the LPG system). Further benefits of using a Range Rover donor are the powerful all-round disc brakes and power steering, making this tough truck drive and steer like no Series Land Rover ever did, aided no doubt by its polybushed suspension.

It was then built up using Series III parts, including a bulkhead and rear tub, with a more modern Defender front-end.

Comfortable three-abreast seating with cubby storage underneath is just the start of the extras list fitted to this all-purpose vehicle. Others include a full set of working gauges, three-point seat belts, hidden fuel filler, two isolator switches, a rear roll bar and a Nokia phone installation. In addition, an electric winch, high lift jack, skid plates for both engine and fuel tank, spot lights, Jerry can, canvas tilt with rear division, a lockable gun case (obviously), fire extinguisher and first aid kit are all standard equipment on this extreme machine.
Sitting on modular wheels shod with good Dunlop 235/85/16 tyres, it has a NATO hitch at the rear (plus conventional tow ball) with working electrics. The icing on the cake is the Sankey one-tonne trailer, complete with springs and dampers, leg stands and a canvas top.

There are 13 old MOTs on file showing that it has covered under 1,000 miles each year, its most recent test expiring as recently as September 2015. We are advised that it runs and drives extremely well, the vendor wishing to point out that this Land Rover is a far-cry from anything that left the Solihull factory and is very much a hybrid vehicle.

If you are planning a long-range adventure, this looks like the perfect vehicle for the job and is on offer for less than the cost of the parts, let alone the hours required to put them together.