4×4S.ORGTHE REGISTRY NAMED MODEL · 1953–56
NAMED MODELMilitary · South AfricaUnited Kingdom

Saracen, South Africa.

280 Saracens ordered by South Africa between 1953 and 1956 — the largest single export order.

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Sources & evidence
BASE VEHICLESaracen (FV603, 1952–76)BUILT BYAlvis, CoventryIN SERVICE1953–56OPERATED INSouth AfricaPRODUCTION280 orderedLAYOUT6 wheels

The record

South Africa’s Saracens outnumbered several armies’ whole fleets and were the basis of its later home-built wheeled armour.

Specification

MANUFACTURED1953–56
ENGINERolls-Royce B80 petrol eight, 160 hpRolls-Royce B80
PRODUCTION RUN280 ordered
COUNTRY OF ORIGINUnited Kingdom
OPERATED INSouth Africa
STATUSout of service
RECORD KINDNamed model
MODEL LINEFV600
FAMILYFV600
WHEELS6
BODY STYLEapc
CATEGORYMilitary · South Africa

Catalogue fields describe the vehicle's structure and body as this registry records it. They are not certified factory measurements, and no performance figures are published here.

Variants & colours

Base model variants

Factory colours

  • Light Stone

Codes on hover. Hex values are representative approximations of period paint unless a source states a measured value.

AI rendering impression

An AI rendering impression starts from a 3D model of this vehicle, which an image model then paints into a scene. It is an artist's impression of the type, made to give a feel for the vehicle in its element — not a photograph, and not a record of any particular vehicle.

Proportions, fittings, markings, colours and the setting can all drift from the original in the process. For the vehicle's actual details, rely on the specification, the photographs and the cited sources on this page.

Sources

  1. 1Alvis Saracen ↗Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-23SOURCE

Registry record updated 2026-09-23 · status: researched