> ROD_DIERY wrote:
>
> > I found a truck on a farm near here today that has me a little
intrigued.
>
> > What is interesting is that it has a plaque on the dash which
says"
> > ARMOURED CAR. LIGHT SERIAL NO. 77641" According to the farmer who owns
it,
> > this was a type of armoured personnel carrier built onto these trucks.
> > Does anyone know anything about these Armoured Cars?????
You wrote:
> Rod
>
> It sounds like you have found the lower half of one of our home grown
> vehicles
> and your farmer is correct in what he says..
> If I am barking up the right tree it is the automotive portion of a
> "Rover" Armoured Car. There is only 1 example I know of that looks like
> a
> vehicle and that belongs to Col Anderson in Shepparton, Victoria.
Hi Douglas,
Thanks for your prompt reply. I did a little research of my own last night
and today and found out a little more. You are absolutely right, it is a
"Rover". Apparently, it's official nomenclature was Car, Light Armoured
(Aust) Rover. All up, 238 were built in 1942 - 1943. The first 40 built
retained the 158.25" wheelbase of the F60L/C018Q chassis but the remainder
were all built on a 134.25" chassis. The first 92 of these were actually a
shortened F60L/C018Q chassis but the final 106 were built on the F60S/C29Q
chassis with the shorter wheelbase. From it's serial number and my own
observations, this one is one of the 92 vehicles in the second batch. The
first 40 were known as the Rover Mk 1 and the remainder as Mk 2s.
I found all the above information from a publication called Australian
Military Equipment Profiles Vol 3 (Australian Scout and Armoured Cars 1933
to 1945) written and published by Michael K Cecil of Castella Victoria.
This is an excellent reference work for these types of vehicles.
Now comes the good bit. I have just got of the phone to the farmer and I
have obtained this vehicle. If I could find all the armour for it, then I
would truly be in heaven. Can you find the address for Col Anderson? Maybe
he knows where a body for this vehicle would be here in WA. By the way, the
Aust Military Equipment Profile says that there are 2 known complete Rovers
around, one with a private collector in Shepparton Vic (Is this Col
Anderson?) and one in the Melbourne Tank Museum in Narre Warren, Vic.
Thanks very much for your help. If anyone else out there knows anything
else about these armoured cars, please contact me.
Cheers
Rod Diery
Kulin Western Australia
Rover Mk 2 armoured car
Austin Champ
ROD_DIERY@onaustralia.com.au