Development

Development continued at a pace during the first five years of the Land Rover’s existence, and small, but often significant, improvements were made to many components and assemblies. Since the vehicles supplied to the Ministry of Supply were, to all intents and purposes, identical to their commercial counterparts, these improvements also found their way into the government vehicles.

In mid-1948 the rear axle ratio was changed when the unit originally designed for the Rover 12 was replaced by the axle intended for the P3 saloon. In 1950 the gearbox was also changed for a similar reason and, during October of 1950 after some 1,500 units had been produced, the permanent four-wheel drive and freewheel

Above: Early FV18001 80in Series I fitted with what was possibly a sample factory hardtop. (PR (topi PW (below})

Facility was dropped with the transmission being replaced by the more usual selectable two or four-wheel-drive configuration. Along with this change the gearlever was conventionally mounted directly into the gearbox, rather than being attached to the body. At the same time the dash was changed to a pressed-metal design.

Early examples were fitted with Girling Hydrastatic self-adjusting brakes, but these were soon discontinued in favour of a more conventional Girling design. Early in production the brake fluid reservoir was moved from the scuttle to the seat box, with the seat box design being modified. The shock absorbers were changed so that both front and rear units were the same type.

In 1950 the headlamps, which had already been increased in size, were no longer covered by the wire-mesh grille. A year later, in 1951, the sidelamps were moved from their curious bulkhead position to a more conventional wing mount, and the grille was modified to the distinctive inverted‘T’ design.

The l,595cc engine had been replaced by a more powerful l,997cc version in August 1951. Although the new engine was essentially a bored-out version of the same unit, it offered an additional 2bhp, with a useful 25% increase in low-speed torque. In 1953 the l,997cc unit was replaced by a re-engineered version based on that used in the P4 Rover 60 saloon car. The two engines were outwardly similar, but the new unit had equally-spaced, rather than ‘siamesed’, bores giving better cooling characteristics.

The wheelbase was increased to86in (2.18m) in 1954 and, at the same time. Rover also

Right: The original 80in wheelbase was increased to 86in and then 88in.

This vehicle, almost certainly an 88in Series 1, a mobile patrol of the Royal Air Force Police on duty in Hong Kong, 1962.

Below: Civilian 86in cargo vehicle launched in 1954; this became the military Rover Mk 3. (PW)

Launched the long-wheelbase 107in (2.72m) version. Among other changes, the 86in (2.18m) vehicles were fitted with a new, larger instrument panel and new rear lights. The bonnet catches were moved nearer to the windscreen with the

Windscreen hinges placed higher on the bulkhead. The door handles were moved outside the body in 1951, and recessed into the doors in 1954.

The 107in (2.72m) wheelbase dimension was upped to 109in (2.77m) in 1957, at which time the 86in (2.18m) wheelbase was increased to 88in (2.24m). The extra 2in (5cm) were required to accommodate the new overhead valve engine... although first put to good use when the new diesel engine was fitted.

Various users, including the War Office, had experimented with diesel power, usually choosing Perkins engines, so it should have come as no surprise when an optional four-cylinder, direct-injection 1,997cc diesel was offered for the Series I in 1957.