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Military Vehicle....you decide!


Adam Elsdon

LDV minibus worthy of the MV collector?  

23 members have voted

  1. 1. LDV minibus worthy of the MV collector?

    • MV White van man.....please dont make me laugh!
      9
    • MV White van man..what a laugh, fill it with re-enactors!
      14


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In the world of classic cars, there is plenty of snob value attached to vehicles, and if yours is different or doesnt fit the established norm, they pretty much seem to get shunned.

 

Now here is one for the MV scene, my mate came on a run with me in the Pig to the pub on our monthly pub run meet, and mentioned that it would be good to have something to turn up in, but the wife would probably do her nut if he bought anything else (He has a few motorbikes!)

 

Anyway a few weeks later im stood in his yard next to an LDV van, looks a bit like the old Sherpa, and just like the ones that we had on bases in the RAF.

 

It turns out he bought it at auction, and it was an ex army LDV minibus! so in actual fact he does have a Military Vehicle!!! he looked kind of incredulous when i mentioned that he is now part of the gang!!!!!!

 

But classic or future classic MV? you decide!

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if it had a military reg then its a mv even the old chevettes would count as they all served in the military as transports

fair enougth some wouldnt count it as such but without standerd vehicles where would the services be

 

I remember seeing Marina pickups in USAF markings in olive drab, at Greenham Common airbase. An ex-USAF Sherpa dropside truck has been to Beltring several times. Seem to recollect seeing a Lada 4x4 with RAF reg number at an air station somewhere. :confused:

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I remember seeing Marina pickups in USAF markings in olive drab, at Greenham Common airbase. An ex-USAF Sherpa dropside truck has been to Beltring several times. Seem to recollect seeing a Lada 4x4 with RAF reg number at an air station somewhere. :confused:

 

The Lada wasnt on an Air Weapons Range was it!

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If it served with the forces and was issued a military number plate - it has a military service record.

 

In my book - that makes it a military vehicle and is worthy of being maintained and kept in the way other MV's are looked after - pile of junk or not.

 

In 30 odd years time - the Sherpa will be looked at as any other MV with history.

 

Markheliops

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A few years ago I went to MVS with a friend to pick up a load of spares, included were 3 stillages of new Suzuki SJ parts, engines gearboxes axles diffs etc. (very cheap!) Apparently a couple had been in service and these were the spares for them. Any one ever seen one in service?

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A friend of mine works for the UN based in Cyprus. He sent me a few pics of vehicles in UN service. Hell fire there is a right mottley collection. I suppose they are not strictly military or are they? I did spot a Lada Riva among them. It's to dry even for one of those to rot away while you are watching it in Cyprus.

 

Phil.

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If it served with the forces and was issued a military number plate - it has a military service record.

 

In my book - that makes it a military vehicle and is worthy of being maintained and kept in the way other MV's are looked after - pile of junk or not.

 

I agree on the first bit.

 

The second bit is really about your definition of military vehicle, or even Historic Military Vehicle for that matter:

a) any vehicle that was acquired and used by the armed forces;

b) any vehicle which was purposely built for acquisition and use by the armed forces.

 

The first category contains the likes of the vehicle in question here: ones that were designed and built for the commercial/civilian market, but can fullfill a certain military role with a few additions (paint, lighting, fire extinguisher, first aid kit etc).

The second category speaks for itself I think.

 

I think it is all about one´s personal interest if any type of vehicle is worth being kept.

 

H.

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A few years ago I went to MVS with a friend to pick up a load of spares, included were 3 stillages of new Suzuki SJ parts, engines gearboxes axles diffs etc. (very cheap!) Apparently a couple had been in service and these were the spares for them. Any one ever seen one in service?

 

Never even heard of that one, maybe they were bought as a trial/test machine and then binned? or even a local purchase by a unit for an event or something and then passed out through the supply chain.

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I agree on the first bit.

 

The second bit is really about your definition of military vehicle, or even Historic Military Vehicle for that matter:

a) any vehicle that was acquired and used by the armed forces;

b) any vehicle which was purposely built for acquisition and use by the armed forces.

 

The first category contains the likes of the vehicle in question here: ones that were designed and built for the commercial/civilian market, but can fullfill a certain military role with a few additions (paint, lighting, fire extinguisher, first aid kit etc).

The second category speaks for itself I think.

 

I think it is all about one´s personal interest if any type of vehicle is worth being kept.

 

H.

I agree with Marks comments.If its seen service in the forces.Then its worth preserving no matter what it is.How many civvi type trucks,pick-ups,and staff cars from the 50,s and 60,s that served in the forces are there around today?.
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Yes, the MOD bought large numbers of Morris 1000 for bomb disposal units, etc. and like rocking horse poo!

If it's not kept now, it will be gone in the future. This why we see so few just post 45 british vehicles, no-one thought these were worth keeping. Bedford supplied 10's of thousends of RL's, again were are these vehicles? Most have been scrapped, but several generations of men spent many hours in them. Military vehicles are not all olive drab, with a white star on. How about the special cars used by covert units in NI, not worth keeping, not a military vehicle? The modern white RAF police motor bikes that escorted nuclear weapons? If it served, no matter how it's military and needs to be preserved.

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totally agree. Ok, much of this stuff is hardly exciting - but neither is a procession of jeeps or land rovers if you have no greater love. It's down to the importance of preservation...but I suppose turning up to an MV rally in a Ford Escort estate is a little dull (I remember my army recruiter at Holloway had one with a military registration).

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On a patrol in deepest Dunganon late 70s troopy spots the sherpa coming down the road now as we all know the only ones with landrovers or sherpers were HM Forces and it was the covert pick up van. So as it stops at the junction all jump in Troopy in the front he does the old double take spots the driver is old Mc d from a local farm. To his credit Troopy didnt bat an eye lid but shouted "ok boys this ones clean lets go and all bailed out see they are not all urban myths

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Oh dear :(........looks like MV rallies could end up looking like a Tescos car park, full of Escorts, Minis, Cortinas, Hillman Hunters and Huskys, Minors, Chevettes, Cavaliers with the odd Sherpa van:rofl:

 

Soon to be no future in those Daimler Dingo and CMP restorations Richard !!:-D

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