A long goodbye to Land Rover: Company’s military career may be coming to an end in the UK

One such example of vehicle longevity is the British-produced series of Land Rover designs. I was reminded of its long service when I heard a news bulletin announcing that the Land Rover was due to be phased out of service with the British Army by 2030. I could hardly believe my ears. 

It is still hard to digest, because the “Landy”, as it is known to troops, has been around for so long that it seems unimaginable that the British Army could operate without it. Sitting in front of the computer screen re-reading the news release I found myself drifting off on a nostalgia trip as I thought back to when I joined the British Army in 1970, the same year the Landy was marking 21 years of military service, and had my first contact with the vehicle.  

It’s been 50 years since I left the Army to become a defense journalist, and the news of the Land Rover’s impending retirement in 2030 means it will have been operational for an incredible 81 years. As I reflected, a question entered my head asking: How many thousands of soldiers had learned to drive on a Landy? The answer is impossible to know.

From arid heat to sub-zero temperatures and the humid climate of the tropics, the Land Rover’s reliability was legendary. Farmers soon recognized the benefits of its rugged, 4x4 cross-country capabilities. Luxury versions, fitted with all types of modern conveniences, were launched for the civilian market and celebrity stars of the film and music industries were often seen driving Land Rovers.

The prototype for what would become known simply as the Land Rover, a retronyme term for a new model, was revealed in 1947 by Maurice Wilkes, chief designer with the Solihull-based firm of Rover Company in Warwickshire, and intended as a cross-country vehicle. Two years later the British Army placed an order for almost 1,900 vehicles and within 10 years the numbers had increased over seven-fold to create a fleet of more than 13,500 vehicles. Its first combat deployment came during the Korean War, and since that time it has been deployed to support all post-war British military operations and provided indispensable service to countless military units around the world.

During my service in the British Army I spent plenty of time either as a passenger or driving versions of the Land Rover — either “Long Wheel Base” or “Short Wheel Base” versions. I remember seeing ambulance variants, signal vehicles fitted out with an array of radio equipment, and the support platoons within infantry battalions used Land Rovers to carry 81mm mortars and tow wheeled 120mm Wombat RCL anti-tank weapons. Then there was the basic liaison role were Land Rovers were used to deliver all manner of items and transport personnel. Back in the 1970s each battalion paymaster would send a Land Rover to the local bank and collect the wages for an entire battalion in the days before personal bank transfers. It was a duty which I performed a couple of times, never once thinking we could be held up and robbed.

Over the years companies have used Land Rover vehicles as the foundation around which a range of designs have been developed. Some of these projects, such as the “Project Llama” in 1986, got no further than prototypes, while others were more permanent. For example, the Belfast-based company of Shorts Brothers in Northern Ireland used the Land Rover for an armored car called the Shorland, which was protected by reinforced plastic-based armor and used by both police and military for internal security roles during the period known as the Troubles. The decade of the 1980s saw the peak of the Land Rover-based “alternative” designs and as a defense journalist I witnessed many of these projects being trialled.

I remember how some companies produced hybrid monsters, invariably trying to develop an armored version for internal security roles for paramilitary forces. Unlike the Shorland, which kept its weight down by using reinforced plastic armor, these new designs used steel armor plate which pushed up the weight, and when a turret with a machine gun was added the chassis had to be strengthened. 

One of the more promising projects was the short-lived “Sandringham 6”, developed between the Welsh-based company of Hotspur and Land Rover. This design had a third axle added to extend the wheelbase and resulted in a versatile 6x6 design which allowed a range of weapon mounts to be fitted. It quietly disappeared, and today these Hotspur Land Rovers are quite rare and of great interest to enthusiasts.

In 1983 Land Rover launched its “90” and “110” range, so-called due to the length of the wheelbases to the nearest inch. This model was renamed the “Defender” in 1990. These became popular with military forces as they proved to be stable and rugged as weapon platforms, and they were also used by the Special Air Service. In some cases it was easier to say what they did not carry rather than what was mounted on these vehicles, including anti-tank missile launchers and 40mm grenade launchers. The reputation of the Land Rover spread and many forces took them into service. This reputation only grew when the vehicles were seen in action during operations such the Falkland Islands in 1982 and Desert Storm in 1990-1991.

Whenever NATO military exercises, such as Reforger”(Return Forces Germany) or “Lionheart” in 1984, were held, defense journalists were usually driven around the exercise area by military personal in Land Rovers. The ride was usually bumpy, but we arrived where the action was taking place and we had somewhere to keep dry when it rained. The experiences also allowed comparisons to be made between Land Rovers and other vehicles of similar types. Seeing them in action did stir a certain fondness from me. This may have been due to having used them in the Army and driven them on farms when I lived in Wales. 

It has not also been easy for Land Rover during its military history. It has had to compete against stiff competition when bidding for military contracts. The company has gone through turbulent times and fallen under different ownership, but somehow has always managed to survive. By 2007 some 4 million Land Rover vehicles of all types had been produced and it was claimed that at least 70 percent of those were still operational.  

The vehicle’s pending retirement has been announced, but what will replace it in service? There are several contenders, including the 6x6 Pinzgauer produced by the Austrian company of Steyr-Puch, but that could all change.

Examples of the Land Rover, from the original Series 1 in 1949, which eagle-eyed enthusiasts will spot in the closing scenes of the 1958 movie “Ice Cold in Alex”, to more recent types known as the “Pink Panther”, are in private ownership. Indeed, no military vehicle show in Britain would be complete without a lineup of Land Rovers. Civilian versions, known as Range Rovers, turn up at classic car shows. There are online forums and owners clubs have been established around the world. Specialist auction hoses know there will be serious interest in Land Rovers offered for sale, especially the more unusual types.

Certainly, we have not yet heard the last of the Land Rover and our final goodbyes are a long way off. As for me, after more than 50 years it is only natural that I should hold a deep affection for the Landy. The year of 2030 is supposed to be mark the end, but the Land Rover has been always been full of surprises and there is still life in the design. So, I along with many thousands of other enthusiasts, won’t be writing it off just yet. 

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