Austin Champ

The over-engineered British jeep: the Champ (FV1801) of 1951–56, from the Nuffield Gutty and Wolseley Mudlark prototypes, with Issigonis torsion-bar independent suspension, a 2.8-litre Rolls-Royce B40, five forward and five reverse gears and six-foot wading; 15,000 ordered, about 11,000 military built at Cofton Hackett before the contract was cut, plus about 500 civilian WN3s.

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3VEHICLESAbout 11,000 military and about 500 civilianBUILT1951–1956IN PRODUCTION1CHAPTERS

The War Office specified a light vehicle that could do everything, and got one: the Champ out-performed the Land Rover across country and cost twice as much, needed specialist maintenance and was disliked by units who had to keep it running. Alec Issigonis designed its suspension and Rolls-Royce its engine, part of the B-range family shared with other military vehicles.

The Army cut the order and standardised on the Land Rover, which could do most of the work for half the price. Civilian WN3s, mostly sent to Australia, sold in tiny numbers. The Champ is now among the most collected British military vehicles.

1 chapters, 1948 → today

1Champ (1951–1956)1951 – 1956

194819601975199020052025

11951 – 1956