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A pair of enthusiasts have left this in my fire station for a time. I thought it was an old series, but it's actually a 1963 Austin Gipsy. What was the link between Land Rover and Austin?
Morris
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brian47
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Is that a quiz question or a general enquiry?
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Just an enquiry. There must be a link as it looks like a Land Rover. Just wondered if maybe Morris built these under licence or something?
brian47
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I believe that the Gipsy (that's the correct spelling) was originally designed as a direct competitor to the Land Rover and superceded the more rugged and heavier military Austin Champ.
When the British Motor Corporation (BMC) was merged with Leyland, the Gipsy and the Land Rover ended up being produced by the same company, British Leyland, so something had to give and that time it was the Austin Gipsy.
When the British Motor Corporation (BMC) was merged with Leyland, the Gipsy and the Land Rover ended up being produced by the same company, British Leyland, so something had to give and that time it was the Austin Gipsy.
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Oh right, thanks.
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Wish I had a fire station 
norseman
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Shoddy build standards?
I assume you are talking about Land Rover
The Gypo was actually a very strong competitor to LR, powered by the same 2.2 litre engine used in the Austin 16 from the late 1940's. The vehicle was built in two wheelbases with two different suspension systems, the early ones using a rubber variety & were a popular choice for factories operating their own fire service. A number were also in service with the Civil Defence during the 1960's & are quite a rare sight these days, very occasionally seen at classic car shows often towing a trailer fire pump.
honolulujoe
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used to go to the emergency vehicles day every year at brooklands on mayday weekend, usually see at least one gipsy, sometimes participating in the action i.e. a small staged fire that some of the exhibits tackle
usually see landies and range rover fire engines, ambulances etc in the mix, on this year may 1st if any one is interested
usually see landies and range rover fire engines, ambulances etc in the mix, on this year may 1st if any one is interested
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The one in the photo has a fire pump fitted on the front and a portable pump on a trailer behind.
Their biggest problem after the susp was sorted was the steel body corrosion . They were otherwise not a bad vehicle, the diesel was a bit quicker than the landrover offering at the time . Gearboxes were prettywell bombproof. They were at about the same agricultural level as a the series
The Champ engine was a b 40 smallest of the B series rolls 4, 6 and 8 cylinder with a lot of component commonality . The champ as often was plagued with probs as the MOD kept upping the requirements , and caused it to get heavier and more complex , and expensive . The landrover was operating with the army and ended up doing pretty much all the things the champ was required to do at about half the cost .
The champ lost out in the end to the landrover , which lasted until it was replaced by a lot more heavier and complex and very expensive vehicle what irony !!
The champ lost out in the end to the landrover , which lasted until it was replaced by a lot more heavier and complex and very expensive vehicle what irony !!
