1953 Austin Champ

Description

Ex-Royal Artillery; formerly in the Roy Jackson collection; only 29,630 miles indicated; recently recommissioned following a period in storage; pleasingly original; one of fewer than 13,000 made; interesting alternative to a Series Land Rover; would sit well in any military vehicle collection

The Austin Champ came about in the late 1940s in response to an order from the British Army to develop an all-terrain vehicle comparable to the American Willys Jeep. The first prototypes were tested in 1947 and production commenced in 1951.

Officially known as the ‘FV1801A Truck, ¼ ton, 4x4, CT, Austin MkI’, it featured an open four-seater tub made of pressed steel with fully independent suspension all round using torsion bars and double wishbones. Power came from a Rolls-Royce designed 2.8-litre four-cylinder engine mated to an all-synchromesh gearbox with five forward and five reverse gears – so it could theoretically achieve its maximum speed of 50mph going both forwards and backwards!

Both engine and ‘box were designed with absolute reliability as the prime target and were waterproofed so that the vehicle could operate in up to 6ft of water when the snorkel attached to the air cleaner was deployed. A 20-gallon fuel tank gave it a range of 300 miles. It was manufactured in two main types, cargo and wireless-equipped, though there were various conversion kits for other duties.

Although it proved to have outstanding cross-country abilities, at £1,200 the Champ was far too expensive and in the end fewer than 13,000 of the 15,000 vehicles ordered were made between 1951 and 1956. Around 11,700 saw service with the British Army, with another 1,200 or so going to other customers, including the Australian Army.

Its role was largely taken over by the Land Rover which could perform 80% of its tasks at half the price with much simpler maintenance.

Built in 1953, this Champ spent it’s first dozen years in service with the British Army, being demobbed for civilian use and registered as KYC 428D in 1966. In December 2020 it was acquired by military vehicle collector and restorer, Roy Jackson of Cumbria. At this point the Champ had been in storage for around a dozen years with an owner in Devon, being described as largely original and in good running order.

The Champ was sympathetically refreshed by Mr Jackson, with over £2,500 reputedly spent on parts. The military markings below both front headlamps had been painted over but they were uncovered during the restoration. According to research by Mr Jackson, the ram's head motif below the front left headlamp was the insignia of the 1st Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA), whose HQ was in Glasgow. The 144 below the right headlamp signified 50^th Medium Regiment RA who provided anti-aircraft artillery support.

In 1956 AGRA were posted to Cyprus as part of Operation Musketeer, the ill-fated Anglo-French-Israeli attempt to seize the Suez Canal Zone from Egyptian control. The Champ presumably went with them but Musketeer was aborted part-way through (due to pressure from the Americans), and AGRA were assigned to 'internal security duties' on Cyprus where Greek-backed EOKA forces had just started an armed revolt against British colonial rule - a vicious little war that cost the lives of 387 British servicemen before it came to an end in 1959.

When Mr Jackson passed away his collection was dispersed, our vendor acquiring the Champ in 2024 to join his own small collection of military vehicles. When our vendor bought the vehicle it did have a V5C, some recommissioning invoices and some handbooks but unfortunately these have since gone astray so the next owner will need to apply for a V5C using the requisite DVLA form and payment of a £25 fee. Should any of these documents turn up in the meantime, we will amend the description accordingly.

As you can see in the photos, this Champ is in pleasingly original condition with a nice ‘military’ patina and a mere 29,630 miles on the clock, which is more than likely correct. It has been starting promptly and running well as we have moved it around on site, although the exhaust is blowing slightly. Due to lack of recent use, it will doubtless benefit from a precautionary check-over before being used on the road - or for any further 'internal security duties'...

An interesting alternative to the ubiquitous Series Land Rover, with a Rolls-Royce engine under the bonnet, this rare and quirky Champ will prove a real talking point wherever it goes.

Consigned by James Dennison - 07970 309907 - [email protected]