The 1953 Land-Rover Series I, with the licence plate MA-27-09, belongs to the Câmara de Lobos Fire Brigade.
The car was registered on 14 March 1953 in the name of António Pinto de Abreu, who was part of the board of the peacekeepers. It was a standard process until the vehicle was fully paid and then transferred to the institution.
This is a model from the British brand made exclusively for firefighters, where the Godiva pump stands out.
In 2009, the Land Rover was repaired to maintain it presentable and roadworthy.
In the meantime, its documents were lost, therefore it cannot be driven on public roads. However, all is being done to gather all the necessary documents.
The Land Rover I, II and III series are British compact off-road vehicles, produced by the Rover Company since 1948, and later by the British Leyland.
Although inspired by the Second World War jeep, the Land Rover stood out from all other cars. Since its launch, it was the first mass-produced civilian four-wheel drive, with doors and a hardtop.
Unlike other conventional car and truck chassis, it uses a more robust box-welded structure. In addition, due to the post-war shortage of steel and the excess of aluminium, Land Rovers received anti-rust aluminium bodies, favouring longevity. In 1992, Land Rover claimed that 70% of all the vehicles it had built were still in use.
Most series models feature spring suspension with selectable two or four-wheel drive (4WD), however, the series I, produced between 1948 and mid-1951, had constant 4WD via a freewheel mechanism, and the Stage 1 Series III V8's featured permanent 4WD. All three models could be started with a front crank and had the option of front and rear power take-offs as accessories.
The Land Rover was conceived by the Rover Company in 1947 during the aftermath of World War II. Before the war, Rover had produced luxury cars that were not in demand in the immediate post-war period, and raw materials were strictly rationed for construction or industrial equipment companies, or products that could be exported widely to generate crucial foreign currency for the country. Furthermore, Rover's original Coventry factory was bombed during the war, forcing the company to move to a huge factory built just before the war at Solihull, near Birmingham, previously used to build the Bristol Hercules aircraft engines.
Maurice Wilks, chief designer at Rover, devised a plan to produce an agricultural and light utility vehicle, similar in concept to the Willys Jeep used in the war, but mostly for agricultural use.
Land Rover's original concept (a cross between a light truck and a tractor) is similar to the Unimog, which was developed in Germany during that period.
The first prototype had a distinctive feature - the steering wheel was mounted in the middle of the vehicle. Therefore, it became known as central steering wheel. It was built on a Jeep chassis and made use of the engine and gearbox of a Rover P3 sedan. The bodywork was handcrafted from an aluminium/magnesium alloy called Birmabright to save on steel, which was strictly rationed. The choice of colour was dictated by the excess military paint supplies for aircraft cabins. Therefore, the first vehicles only came in various shades of light green.
The first pre-production Land Rovers were being developed in late 1947 by a team led by engineer Arthur Goddard.
Tests showed that this prototype vehicle was a capable and versatile machine. The PTO from the front of the engine and gearbox to the centre and rear of the vehicle, allowed it to engage agricultural machinery, just as a tractor would. It was also tested for ploughing and performing other agricultural tasks. However, as the vehicle was prepared for production, this emphasis on tractor use diminished and the centre steering proved it impractical for use. The flywheel was mounted on the side as usual, the bodywork was streamlined to reduce production time and costs, and a larger engine was installed, along with a specially designed transfer case to replace the Jeep unit. The result was a vehicle that didn't use a single Jeep component and was slightly shorter than its American inspiration, but wider, heavier, faster, and still maintained the PTO.
The Land Rover was designed to be produced for two or three years alone to get some cash flow and export orders for the Rover Company so that it could restart production of luxury cars. Once car production restarted, however, it was far surpassed by the off-road Land Rover, which remains successful to this day.
Many of Land Rover's defining and successful design features were the result of Rover's effort to simplify the tools required for the vehicle and use the minimum amount of rationed materials. In addition to the aluminium alloy bodywork (which was maintained throughout production, although it is now more expensive than a conventional steel bodywork due to its ideal light weight and corrosion resistance properties), other examples include the distinctive flat body with chassis alone, which on series vehicles was made of four strips of steel welded on each side to form a box, thus reducing the complex operations required when making a more conventional U- or I-section frame.
In 1952 and 1953 a larger 2.0 litre petrol engine was installed. This engine has Siamese bores, which means that there are no cooling water passages between the cylinders. During 1950, the unusual semi-permanent 4WD system was replaced by a more conventional setup, with front-axle drive via a single clutch. Around this time, the Land Rover's legal status was also clarified. The Land Rover was originally classified as a commercial vehicle, which means it was exempt from purchase tax. However, this also meant that it was limited to a speed of 30 mph on British roads. After an appeal to the Law Lords, after an owner was accused of exceeding this limit, the Land Rover was classified as a multi-purpose vehicle, which would only be classified as a commercial vehicle if used for commercial purposes.
The 1954 model year brought about big changes. The 2.03 m wheelbase model was replaced by a 2.18 m wheelbase model, and a 2.72 m wheelbase version was introduced. The extra wheelbase has been added behind the cab area to provide additional cargo space.
In mid-1954, the gasoline engine was introduced, allowing for better cooling between the cylinders. This had been introduced on the Rover car the previous year.
The engine was modified again in 1955, sometimes known as the later expansion bore.
In September 1955, the 1st 5-door model was introduced, with a capacity for up to 10 people. The new station wagons were very different from the previous Tickford model, being built with simple metal panels and bolt-on construction rather than the complex wooden frame of the older Station Wagon. They were intended to be used both as commercial vehicles and the transportation of people to work, from remote locations, as well as by private users. Like the Tickford version, they came with basic interior trim and equipment, such as roof vents and interior lights.
In mid-1956, the wheelbases were extended by 51 mm to 2.24 m and 2.77 m, and the front frame member was moved forward to accommodate the new diesel engine, which would be an option the following year. This change was made to all models, with the exception of the 107 Station Wagon, which would never be equipped with a diesel engine and would end up being the last I series in production. These dimensions would be used on all Land Rovers for the next 25 years.
In 1957, a new 2.0 litre diesel engine was introduced, which, despite the similar cylinder power, was not related to the gasoline engines used. Gasoline engines of the time used the outdated intake-over-exhaust valve arrangement; the diesel used the more modern top valve layout. This diesel engine was one of the first high-speed diesel engines developed for road use, producing 52 hp at 4,000 rpm.
Datasheet
Year: 1953
Brand: Land-Rover
Model: 2CV Cargo
Country: MA-27-09
License plate: MA-27-09
Engine: 2.000 cc
Gearbox:...