4x4s.org NAMED MODEL · 1940–41
NAMED MODELMilitary · United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Universal Carrier Mark I

The first Universal, of 1940: one hull for all the jobs the earlier carriers had divided between them, with three crew and an 85 hp Ford V8.

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Sources & evidence
Universal Carrier Mark I — A Universal Carrier Mark I of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on the Sussex Downs, 18 October 1940.Puttnam · Public domain ↗
BASE VEHICLEUniversal Carrier (1940–60)BUILT BYVickers-Armstrongs, Wolseley Motors, Birmingham, Thornycroft, Basingstoke, Sentinel Waggon Works, Shrewsbury, Aveling-Barford, Grantham, Ford of Britain, DagenhamIN SERVICE1940–41OPERATED INUnited Kingdom, IrelandPRODUCTIONNot published separatelyLAYOUT4 wheels

The record

The Mark I was 3.66 m long, weighed 3.86 tonnes laden and reached 30 mph. It carried a Bren gun or a Boys anti-tank rifle and whatever else the role needed. Ireland received 26 Mark Is in 1940.

Specification

MANUFACTURERVickers-Armstrongs ↗, Wolseley Motors, Birmingham ↗, Thornycroft, Basingstoke ↗, Sentinel Waggon Works, Shrewsbury ↗, Aveling-Barford, Grantham ↗, Ford of Britain, Dagenham ↗
design; built by Aveling-Barford, Ford of Britain, Sentinel Waggon Works, Thornycroft and Wolseley Motors
MANUFACTURED1940–41
ENGINEFord flathead V8 petrol, 239 cu in (3.9 L), 85 hp at 3,500 rpmFord flathead V8
PRODUCTION RUNNot published separately
COUNTRY OF ORIGINUnited Kingdom
OPERATED INUnited Kingdom, Ireland
STATUSout of production
RECORD KINDNamed model
MODEL LINEUniversal Carrier
FAMILYUniversal Carrier
WHEELS4
BODY STYLEopen
CATEGORYMilitary · United Kingdom

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

  • Service Colour Standard brown
  • Olive Drab
  • Khaki Green No. 3
  • Dark Brown
  • Black
  • Dark Olive Green
  • Light Stone
  • Portland Stone
  • Desert Pink
  • Light Mud
  • Deep Bronze Green

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. 1Universal Carrier ↗Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-24SOURCE

Registry record updated 2026-09-24 · status: researched