Roverphile - What's The Struth Behind Odd Oz 107?

Accepted wisdom has it that the Australian Army didn’t order any new Land Rovers after its last 80-inch models until they called for a large quantity of Series IIs in 1959.

- James Taylor

But Martin Dix has uncovered an interesting vehicle that seems to prove there was an interim order – even if it was for just one vehicle! It’s a 1957-spec 107 that was shipped to Champions of Adelaide for assembly from CKD (completely knocked-down).

Although the chassis number (1137-01787) says it’s a station wagon, the body is a special hard top. The rear body sides are low, as on an 86-inch, and are made of three separate panels. There are no rope cleats and the body sides and roof are custom-built. Interestingly, it’s been professionally fitted with a 2.25-litre engine; Martin thinks this may have been carried out by the army in 1959, probably to align its specification with the Series IIs that were then being delivered.

The previous owner believes it was a radio vehicle, and there is evidence that a centre power take-off was once fitted, perhaps to charge the radio batteries. Martin says that under the usual layers of olive drab and Bronze Green paint is a layer of what appears to be cream or sand colour – which would be highly unusual on an Australian-built Land Rover. He adds that the body panels are held together by BSF screws (not rivets) that match the ones Rover used to attach the instrument binnacle to the bulkhead.

A best guess from me is that the vehicle was supplied to the Australian Army in chassis only form and that they constructed the body themselves. Martin intends to see what he can discover from records held by the Australian War Museum. But that might take some time!

Discovery 2 A-post: a postscript