A 6x4 Carmichael fire truck conversion
Jetting-off to Portugal to play with
the stonking new Range Rover TDV8
on- and off-road takes some beating as far as days out of the office go. But the team at Land Rover must think we bore easily, because they also entertained us at the launch with a fantastic sideshow to celebrate the Rangie’s 40th birthday.
Nestling in the shade of some citrus trees at launch HQ (an upmarket vineyard/estate in Portugal) assembled hacks were offered the keys to an evocative collection of early Range Rover metal.
From emergency services vehicles like the police motorway patrol car, Wadham Stringer bodied ambulance and a six-wheeled Carmichael International fire truck retired from the Swiss railways, to one of the famous Darien Gap expedition cars and even the open-backed Range Rover used by Her Majesty on occasions of state, for anyone with a soft spot for Rangies it was a lot like being let loose in a toy store.
Chris-R dreams of reviewing the next Sunday Service...
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A personal highlight was driving a ‘naked’ Range Rover chassis from 1971, one of three built as motor show and dealer showroom demonstrators, but never really meant to be used in anger. I could have spent all afternoon bimbling around the vineyard perched on its driver’s seat and watching the suspension and propshaft in action – in spite of the choking dust and extreme heat from the unshielded V8 up front.
The MKI's ground-breaking chassis
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Early turbodiesels were represented
But that would have meant not driving the six wheel fire truck, which interestingly had only four driven wheels, although others versions were built with full six-wheel drive. The extra axle in this case was simply there to support a great weight of water, but the off-road performance was diluted (geddit?) over rough terrain if the powered middle axle came off the ground. Still, it was great to have a go, especially as I see an old 6x6 Range Rover fire truck through the fence every day at Shoreham Airport.
It also came as a bit of a surprise to realise that old Rangies used to have a hand-start facility. I had to have a go, but being used hand-starting my little marine diesel engine with its decompression lever, I wasn’t prepared for the force required to turn over a big petrol V8. In fact, it felt as though the spindly crank handle was going to bend in my hand, so I gave up (wimped out!) before giving it the full benefit of my well-toned biceps…
How (not to) hand-start a Range Rover