The Land Rover 110 and 127 (the latter subsequently renamed 130) were introduced for military service in the mid-1980s, both lending themselves to the ambulance role although, with the additional length, the 130 was more generally favoured. By this time. Land Rover was also stating that mobile clinics, vaccination units and other medical facilities could be constructed on these chassis.
However, as part of the ‘core military Defender’ range. Land Rover offered customers a battlefield ambulance constructed on either chassis using a two-stretcher body provided by either Marshalls of Cambridge, or the Andover-based Locomotors company. The Irish Defence Force procured a small number of Defender 130 ambulances fitted with two-stretcher ambulance bodies constructed by Macclesfield Motor Bodies of Cheshire, so clearly Land Rover was equally happy to supply customers with chassis-cab vehicles, allowing the body to be constructed by a third party.
The standard ambulance body followed the already-established principles, although some early examples appear not to have been provided with the distinctive Luton cab roof; where this feature was provided, a linking door allowed entry to the rear compartment from the cab. Windows were provided on the right-hand side. The body was updated in 1989 when the roof was squared off and the previously-flat header panel above the windscreen was replaced by a more angular design. A large roof rack was frequently fitted.
Land Rovers sales literature of the period suggests that bodies could be constructed for carrying up to six stretcher cases or eight seated casualties with plenty of stowage space for medical equipment. Heating or air conditioning could provided as required.
Small numbers of Defender-based ambulances were purchased by all three of the British services, generally powered by the 3.5-litre V8 petrol engine. In British service, they were effectively superseded by the Wolf Defender XD-130, but continued to be offered to export customers.
World History
