c.1962 Land Rover Series IIA 109" SAS Military 4x4
Registration no. 10 FG 61 (British Army)
Chassis no. 25113989D

Armed forces the world over have been buying the Land Rover since its earliest days, and its chassis plate identifies this military version as a 'Truck, General Service, SAS, ¾ Ton, 4x4, Rover II'. It is painted and equipped for desert operations and would have been supplied, as the chassis plate confirms, to the British Army's elite SAS (Special Air Service).

Provided by the British Army's REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), this vehicle's formidable specification included armament, pyrotechnics, navigation and camping equipment. The armament consisted of two general-purpose machine guns, a Carl Gustav (anti-tank) weapon, two self-loading rifles, three compartment grenade holders, four sets or three smoke dischargers and a signal pistol. Navigation equipment would have included a sun compass, magnetic compass and a theodolite. Communication equipment consisted of Type A43 and A123 radios.
Extended vehicle operating range was provided for by two 40-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks. Seats were provided for a commander, driver, and rear gunner, with two additional seats above the rear wheelarches. The suspension was strengthened by fitting heavy-duty springs and shock absorbers. Guards were fitted to both differential housings, and the wheels were shod with large-section sand-tread tyres. The steering was modified by fitting a cylindrical hydraulic steering damper between the left-hand chassis member and a clamp on the steering drag link. Curiously, the Data Summary does not mention the engine, which was the 2.2-litre petrol unit, as seen in this example.

Although details of this Land Rover's military career are not known, the SAS saw service in the Dhofar Rebellion (Omani Civil War) of 1963 to 1976 and in the Aden Emergency of 1963 to 1967. Both of these conflicts would have required a vehicle in desert warfare specification like this example.
'10 FG 21' appears to have been preserved in remarkably original condition, complete with most of its military equipment apart from the weapons, although the machine gun mounts and smoke dischargers are still in place. This ex-SAS Land Rover was purchased from marque specialist Charles Kellogg III's Dare Britannia Ltd in Washington State in July 2018 and shipped back to the UK. It is not known when it left military service or how long it had been in the USA. Purchase paperwork is on file.

There is no shortage of military Land Rovers, but original examples with this one's pedigree and unique specification are rarely offered for sale. A not-to-be-missed opportunity for the discerning military vehicle collector.