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Current Owner: Bill Wilcox, Beccles, Suffolk
Previous Owner(s): Unknown
Now re-registered as DSV881. Advertised for sale on eBay October 14. Vendor wrote:
1957 Series 1 Landrover with 2 litre petrol engine. SWB 88 inch version with Hardtop. Engine is partly dismantled and not running. Chassis and bulkhead rusted.
Original Log Book and V5. Possibily ex Civil Defence. Good non transferable number plate.
Has been dry stored in near Beccles in Suffolk for several years, but is now outside and in need of a new home.
Some would probably suggest that the Classified Ad price of £6,500 was a bit optimistic for a non-running vehicle in need of considerable restoration. However, there are some interesting points about the vehicle:
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It's rare to find an unrestored Home Office vehicle (soft-top or hard-top) that has retained the fixings to support the removable 'detatchment' board that showed where the vehicle was stationed, but they are clearly visible in these pictures on the hard-top above the waistline. That, and the 'Export Hardtop' windows configuration shows clearly that this is the original roof. However, it's not possible to see the upper surface in enough detail to see if there's any remains of the aerial base or a blanking plate (but see below).
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But the fact that the left-hand and centre front seats have been replaced by a single bench might support the theory that this was a Reconaissance vehicle fitted with a radio in place of the centre seat — when this was done, the left-hand seat was moved slightly towards the door to make room. If the vehicle was released into civillian service without the centre seat replaced, it might have been tempting to replace both seats with the (rather hard-looking) bench here.
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But most valuable of all is the fact that the vendor still has the original brown log book intact, showing all the vehicle's ownership details in Essex, from initial Home Office service through a number of (farmer?) owners. It also clearly confirms the original registration, and the chassis and engine numbers — a valuable document when kept with the vehicle as part of its history.
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Following a posting on the LRSOC Forum, the Series One Club's Registration Officer, Mike Burn, wrote:
I own Series One SXF 787. My chassis number is very close to the one shown in the log book*. Often these vehicles were fitted with combined oil pressure/water temperature gauges on the near side, [and] I note that this vehicle has such a gauge fitted. A shame it has lost its original registration.
*[Actually, they're consecutive, which is comparatively rare for Home Office vehicles — by contrast SXF 789 was 14 digits higher.]
The eBay offer 'Ended' on October 11th, with no indication of the outcome. The seller didn't respond to my query. An almost identical advert appeared on eBay April 2015 at a classified ad price of (a more realistic) £4,750.00.
In early July, another eBay advert appeared, this time with a Classified Ad price of £4,350. This advert was particularly interesting in that this front shot of the car...
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... clearly showed a blanking plate on the roof where the original radio aerial would have been. This is definitely a former Reconnaissance vehicle.
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Bill Wilcox wrote:
I purchased the car at East Midlands Motor Auctions last week. I think it has been standing outside for some time and needs a complete rebuild. Chassis is not too bad, and it has the original engine. My intention is to get as near to original as possible when she was a Civil Defence Reconnaissance car SXF 788. We have the hardtop and will try to find the radio gear etc if its possible. She will be completely stripped by the weekend and then the hard work will begin.
In July Bill reported that 788 is now completely stripped, chassis repairs are done and engine rebuilt. A full rebuild will be this winter. Quite a project, Bill, but we wish you well with it.
[To add (or alter) information on this page, please contact me on sxf@teeafit.co.uk.]