4X2

[moneystones]

Hi
What is the history of 4X2 S1's? What was their purpose and who primarily were they designed for? Reason: I have been offered one for sale.
H

[jeremy]

As far as I know they were all military - which in those days wasn't extremely different from civilian spec except for the Warn trailer socket on the back and the fitting of a convoy lamp and the associated wiring and switch.  (Convoy light is under the back body shining on a white-painted diff pan - so that you can follow the vehicle in front in the dark without showing much light to the sky - so when its on - everything else must be off - so a complicated switch was mounted on an auxilliary panel.

2WD was achieved by leaving off the front section of the transfer box and using a front axle with a straight tube between the swivels.  There's a bit more to it than that but that was the only mechanical difference.

Loads of S1's were built, a few S2's and even some S3's for the Belgians - who had a limited slip diff at the back.  Its thought they cost Rover more to build than a standard S1.

[TomC]

Someone will probably give you a better reply, but they were used in situations where four wheel drive was considered unnecessary.  So the Ministry of Works had quite a number for works vehicles associated with historic buildings.  The forces used them on airfields, for recruiting, in Germany (BAOR) and Military Police amongst other things.  They weren't as useful as had been thought and the Ministry of works ones were sold off fairly quickly I think.  The majority have or had *** FUV registrations.  The army continued with a small number in the later series, but the Dutch had a large number of Lightweights in a diesel / 4x2 specification, which caught out some Belgian friends who thought they were buying a 4x4.

If you are able to accept that a 4x2 doesn't do serious off-roading then you don't have to worry about engaging your freewheel hubs every few hundred miles.  They're often in good condition.  The best reason to buy it would be to stop someone else changing the front axle to make it 4x4.

[seriesonenut]

Hi
Yes that's a fair summing up of the 4x2. About 650 made and you see them now and again still in 4x2 format. I have hunted high and low to find out what colours they might have been in the Ministry of Public Works  where most ended up but no luck so far. Rumour has it RAF blue with yellow and black chevrons on the doors I think. Mine started out green, then RAF blue.
Here is a shot of mine in deepest Thetford Forest on New Years day. Despite lots of mud it made it round no problem.

[ebromwell]

According to James Taylor's book Land-Rover  60 years of the 4X4 Workhorse, 655 softop and 20 Station Wagon 4X2 vehicles were supplied for military use top replace car derived utilities ( e.g. Standard Vanguard & Morris Minor) for general run about use.
 As they were classed as cars rather than trucks they sold off after 5 years with about 500 going to Ministry of Works whereupon they mostly got registered with ***FUV registrations

[GunnarTM]

I just noticed a '58 88" 4x2 "FUV" up for sale https://www.williamsclassics.co.uk/vehicles-for-sale/land-rover-series-1-88-4x2-ex-military-1958-model-original-condition-670-fuv/ .

[Dpaz]

My ex 4X2 03 CE 91 was demobbed from the Scottish T/A Military Police.  It had a 4WD front axle and was not very original so I fitted a 4wd transfer box. Now it is 4X4. No doubt if you supply some numbers 'Austychamp' will tell you all about yours. There is a large 4X2 thread on the forum if you search. Good luck>

[GunnarTM]

Do you mean this one? https://www.lrsoc.com/forum/index.php?topic=30886.msg312215#msg312215 .

By the way, it's not my truck ... just an advert upon which I stumbled on FaceBook.

[autorover1]

I remember one 4x2 owner back in the late 1960's  who was prosecuted for exceeding the Goods vehicle speed limit 40 mph on the open road, . A 4x2 LR was classed as a goods vehicle whereas a 4x4  LR  is a dual Purpose vehicle and the car speed limits apply.

[tobes01]

I remember one 4x2 owner back in the late 1960's  who was prosecuted for exceeding the Goods vehicle speed limit 40 mph on the open road, . A 4x2 LR was classed as a goods vehicle whereas a 4x4  LR  is a dual Purpose vehicle and the car speed limits apply.

That's extraordinary. How did he get it over 40 mph? 

[MineRover]

Just do a forum search under Military Vehicles section, there has been some very good information unearthed over the years not least by austychamp aka John Mastrangelo.

ps Ignore any rumor's of the RAF using them to drive up and down their runways   

[Dpaz]

Tobes01. Another thread explains'25mph in the morning and 25mph in the afternoon +50mph' !!!

[strang]

There was one at Bolton Abbey this weekend just gone - with the FUV registration as well.

[GunnarTM]

A guy in Quebec has a '58 88" 4x2 he's inclined to sell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HHJhOUVV30 .

[alan reid]

A guy in Quebec has a '58 88" 4x2 he's inclined to sell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HHJhOUVV30 .

Looks like a  nice example. Funny ive been watching  Brittanica restorations for a while and didn't know he had a series one tucked away. A good site but doesn't half put me off later Land Rover products though the ones he deals with tend to have been  somewhat abused

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