tankmaniac Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Some time ago, last year, about spring? a strange vehicle appeared at a nearby workshop to have its Rolls Royce engine removed by a Roller mechanic / restorer. The vehicle then became surplus to his requirements and was sold. I almost bought it. It came from an MV collectors yard in Wiltshire and was a suspension research vehicle and had hydraulic suspension arms that ran from the centre of the vehicle, fore and aft and lifted the vehicle up when so desired. It looked rather 'Alvis' and had a fair few land rover parts on it. The engine was rear mounted and its gearbox assembly was somewhat haphazard. Wondering where it is now and whether the new owner replaced the engine or got the brakes working! (it ran but had no brakes on its massive aluminium wheels!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I did see it on Ebay I think mate ! Not sure if it sold though ! Sorry to be so vague ! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankmaniac Posted September 20, 2009 Author Share Posted September 20, 2009 I know the guy that does the rollers and it did sell... can't remember where it went though. Went for about £650 if i remember rightly. Sodding weird item. Not the kind of vehicle i would feel very comfortable in whilst doing a fair clip with that roller lump. Never worked our what it was designed for. It had automatic fire extinguishing systems on it and inside. Tires were road and wheels were large. As to why it had to raise up and lower again ..... The kind of vehicle Noddy would invent! Have a picture somewhere. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowtracdave Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 It came up on e bay two or three times , at one stage it was somewhere in the Maldon area not too far from me but I don't know what finally happened to it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 It was a platform to develop new techniques if I remember right, and may have been something that came from DERA or whatever they were called at the time, at Chertsey. Do recollect seeing pics of it on the web. Not intended as a production vehicle, just used to conduct trials on new ideas. I am sure someone had more info on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankmaniac Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Interesting. Didn't know it came up a few times... Perhaps it wasn't what they expected. Not the same without the rolls royce engine anyway! I know what i would have done with it... Pop a chunky lump back in... paint it up NATO green, put some brakes on it, probably from a lorry and get it all functioning again. Would definitely turn some heads at the shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankmaniac Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Ah yes. here's the picture. Suspension research vehicle 1. Looks like it should have bigger tires but there is a bump stop about an inc and a half above the rear tires. Looks a tad like the aircraft tugs. Perhaps that is why it was reasonably low and could raise up high? The suspension arms are under the canvas cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fammorris Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Ah yes. here's the picture.Suspension research vehicle 1. Looks like it should have bigger tires but there is a bump stop about an inc and a half above the rear tires. Looks a tad like the aircraft tugs. Perhaps that is why it was reasonably low and could raise up high? The suspension arms are under the canvas cover. A couple of us who were involved in its construction and testing are wondering what happened to it as well. It was built largely at Portsmouth Aviation where the project manager there had made a set of plastic models Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minkey Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Hello all, I have just joined your group so I can reply to this topic. I realise it is over 10 years since the thread was started but better late than never. I bought the SRV1 in 2008 or thereabouts via Ebay, and had a vague intention to restore it but life got in the way and I had to sell it on in a hurry as I emigrated for a few years. Every once in a while since I returned I have searched on the net for any info on the current whereabouts, as the chap I sold it to ( details lost when I emigrated ) intended to restore it for a museum - which is where it ought to be in my opinion. I saved it, but was unable to fulfil my ambition. The chap took it on a trailer back to Yorkshire and that is the last I heard. I will write some more on this in a day or two, as I have a good deal of paperwork - original MOD project intentions etc from 1970, and information graciously supplied by Portsmouth Aviation, which I am sure would be of great interest to enthusiasts from a historical perspective. The wheels for instance are complete one-offs for this vehicle, no doubt manufactured at great expense, as was the rest of the vehicle. Now that I have finally found a home for the information - where it can be appreciated - here, hopefully more may come to light and I hope that the SRV/1 does finally get to be displayed somewhere for all to appreciate the interesting engineering and ideas behind it. Here is a sampler of when it was on my drive - complete with happy cat who liked to sit inside ! More to follow soon. Graham. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Johns Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) . Edited April 16, 2022 by Nick Johns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macd Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 I own it, not getting round to getting it back in use. Its south of edinburgh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis666 Posted September 24, 2021 Share Posted September 24, 2021 Its up for sale now! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185059063382?hash=item2b16613656:g:xNAAAOSwOlxhPbr2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minkey Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 A while since I looked on here. Couldn't find the 7 month old ebay listing unfortunately. If new owner is serious about restoring it -putting it in a museum, I have more info available - in the form of copies of original plans from Portsmouth Aviation. Some years ago I did speak to the ( by then ) elderly gentleman who worked on it, when it was manufactured /tested. I believe he told me it cost £60,000 in 1970, which is a lot of money - my Dad bought a house then for £4,500 as a comparison! PM me if info required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minkey Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 I forgot to add - I was told by people who were involved at the time - SRV = Suspension Research Vehicle. As a result of the effort that went into this research, the subsequent development of suspension for the Challenger tank was possible. In which case it is of some historical significance as an element in Military vehicle development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-boy Posted May 14, 2022 Share Posted May 14, 2022 I don’t know why there are two threads on this vehicle, but for anyone who has not seen the other, it is in the ‘Tell us’ section. A short video of the beast is posted there, so worth a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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