military cars etc

[chevpol]

Just a quick question, apart from the odd morris 1000 traveller, does anybody know if any ex military cars from the late 60's. early 70's survive?

 

Also, as one of my interests is buses, does anybody know what happened to the domestic fleet buses of the 70's?

 

a long shot I think, but you never know

 

Mark

[Tony B]

My 18th birthday present was a 1968 (If I remember) Vauxhall Velox, ex staff car. Great fun, 3 gear coloum shift, held together with a bootlace, straight six 3 litre odd engine. Bench seats. It got known as the four couple car, one pair on the front bench seat, one pair on the back, and two in the boot. She eventually got sold to a Spanish guy who took her back to spain, intending to use her as a mini cab. There was a guy where I used to work had an ex RAF Hillman Minx Estate he used to drive in service, Can't remember his name but you still see it about.

[ford 369]

a recent mvt magazine had an article about mark 2 and 3 zephyrs being used by the military police and I know there is mark3 zephyr in Hendon RAF museum,I am also fairly sure I have seen a late mode vanguard in RAF livery

Nigel

[snowtracdave]

Coming even further up to date there used to be a place somewhere near Halstead that sold ex govt. cars - Mostly Ford Escorts, Mini's & Chevettes from what I remember. (Think the Chevette estate my ex killed was ex mod).

[ashley]

Hi,

i remember the MOD police had Minis (no not the skirts!) in the early to mid seventies used to chase me in it across on Salisbury plain :rofl::rofl:

 

 

Also whilst in Germany there were plenty of the Bedford `utility` bus/coaches used for transporting troops, school kiddies around which i believe could be converted to carry wounded troops if required they were literally every where. Our school had two of them and i doubt if they were used more than once a week.

 

Ashley

[Richard Farrant]

When I first started work with the Army, in early Seventies, the Morris Minor Traveller was still in service, large staff car was the Austin or Morris 1800, smaller car was the Mini, usually black, the 1800 was seen in green , red, etc. then the Hillman Hunter took over, along with Ford Escort, next Vauxhall Cavalier and the Shove-It, sorry, Chevette :-D. I seem to think the Ford Escort made a return with a new contract, forget the rest :confused:

 

The green Bedford coaches were the large SB3, with a front grille like a RL and double doors at the rear for its dual ambulance role. The later body style was a rather plain front and was in tow sizes, the SB with 300 petrol engine and the VAS with the 216 petrol engine.

[sirjj]

a friend once owned a mkII zeyphr which was an ex army car. he never did find out the history behind it. i also used to own a vespa 90 scooter who's previous owner was the united states airforce. it saw service in vietnam where it was used on the airforce bases. i painted it olive drab and had the white star painted on it and usaaf . it raised a lot of laughs but when i showed them the history, they stopped laughing.

[AlienFTM]

I was invited to attend the Queen's official birthday parade at JHQ in Rheindahlen about 1979 (somebody had had the bright idea of lining the parade square with cavalry - two men per cavalry regiment currently serving in BAOR - dressed in traditional PTU - Adam Ant kit - with sabres).

 

We spent a week there, learning sword drill and practising for the parade, music supplied by the band of the Black Watch, marching off to Black Bear - what a great piece of music that is.

 

Cometh the day, we, the cavalry guard, marched on (they didn't trust us with horses and I have to say I agree), posted ourselves around the square and parked sabres on shoulders. Then the guests were driven up. It was quite amusing watch the juniors (staff majors and colonels) turn up in their Vauxhalls and Austin Maxis and the new Ford Car, Staff, GS, 4x2 (that a Taunus / Cortina to you and me). Then the Brigadiers in Austin 1800s and 2200s and finally the generals in Rovers.

[MiketheBike]

AleinFTM,

 

you always make me smile...rarely anything directly related to the topic, but always a good read...keep 'em coming

I never was in the forces, but from your accounts, it certainly sounds like an adventure.

[ArtistsRifles]

MT garages attached to B Block in the Duke of Yorks back in the very late Seventies had an Austin Landcrab and a pair of Escort estates assigend to them - Landcrab and one estate were DBG whilst the other estate was black. The Esxorts were used as general purpose run-abouts whilst the Landcrab was strictly a staff car, Senior Officers for the use of.

[les freathy]

A photo of a Zeyphr in service around the late 1960s

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

RAF HENDON.

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

i assume its Germany.

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Its post war,i know that because there is a s1 landrover in the picture but not visable here.

any idea where ,why the line up and what vehicles are we looking at,cheers CW.

[Richard Farrant]

Its post war,i know that because there is a s1 landrover in the picture but not visable here.

any idea where ,why the line up and what vehicles are we looking at,cheers CW.

 

 

CW,

 

from the left, in my opinion,

 

Austin K3, Bedford OY, Ford WOT2, Hillman Tilly, Austin Tilly, Vauxhall ( Velox ?).

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

CW,

 

from the left, in my opinion,

 

Austin K3, Bedford OY, Ford WOT2, Hillman Tilly, Austin Tilly, Vauxhall ( Velox ?).

:tup::

[gazzaw]

Re the velox, is that not a vauxhall wyvern, more bull nosed than velox which was flatter if memory serves me. I also remember the Vauxhall Ventora souped up 6 cyl beasts used by rmp in Berlin to race along corridor and as chase cars etc. (white mice?)

 

gary

[Richard Farrant]

Re the velox, is that not a vauxhall wyvern, more bull nosed than velox which was flatter if memory serves me.

 

 

Gary,

 

I was not positive on the model, but now you queried it, I looked up Bart Vanderveen's Bedford and Vauxhall book. The 4 cyl Wyvern and 6 cyl Velox were introduced in 1948, and to quote Bart, "outwardly the Velox differed from the Wyvern in having bumper overriders".....the car in the photo has overriders, so would appear to be a Velox.

 

Good old Bart, don't know what we would do with out his reference books

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Re the velox, is that not a vauxhall wyvern, more bull nosed than velox which was flatter if memory serves me. I also remember the Vauxhall Ventora souped up 6 cyl beasts used by rmp in Berlin to race along corridor and as chase cars etc. (white mice?)

 

gary

Hi Garry,(white mice)have pics somewhere but cant find them yet,did think of getting one as its getting difficult to get my leg over,(the Champ):-D

[ford 369]

think you will find it is an L type velox as used in heartbeat as a taxi

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

think you will find it is an L type velox as used in heartbeat as a taxi

:tup:: interesting names they pick ,whats a velox when its at home,Wyvern we all know the joke,but whats a wyvern?

[snowtracdave]

Velox - latin word meaning swift . Wyvern -A mythical creature - a two legged dragon - an heraldic sygil .

Edited October 16, 2008 by snowtracdave

[ford 369]

wyvern is also the emblem of 43 recce

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Viscount,victor.Ventora.they liked Vs,whats a Ventora?

[Richard Farrant]

Viscount,victor.Ventora.they liked Vs,whats a Ventora?

 

 

Whats a Chevette :??? ..............a small Chevrolet ?

 

....I think not :rofl: