Here’s your chance to own a really unique vehicle. This right-hand drive 1969 Land Rover ambulance is said to be a two-owner Red Cross vehicle with only 33,000 miles on the odometer. It can be found here on eBay with an asking price of £4,500.00 (or $6,200 USD). Located in Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, this truck is ready for a new lease on life.
This photo shows off the uniqueness of this vehicle. Not only are these vintage Land Rovers really cool in the front, this ambulance is even cooler from the rear. The shape of the rear portion of the body allows it to be used in off-road applications and increases the departure angle. It also features recessed tail lights and a center drop down door allowing easier access to the rear enclosure.
Here you can see the rear three door system. There’s plenty of room to make this a work vehicle, maybe a mobile workshop? How about a weekend warrior camper? It appears there’s already a custom cabinet and some seating inside. You could easily add a bunk or a dinette conversion and a small propane kitchenette.
The engine is a gasoline powered 2286 cc 4-cylinder which are known to be reliable and are adequate for any off-roading. With a rating of 74 horsepower, it will not win any drag races, but will eventually take you just about anywhere you want to go. The ad states the engine turns freely but the current owner has not tried to start it. This truck last went through inspection in 1999, so hopefully it won’t take too much to get it going again.
Here you can see the utilitarian cab. You can tell by the green around the windshield frame that this truck has probably been stored in a pretty damp environment (it is England after all). The photos don’t indicate a ton of rust, but the ad does state that “bulkhead corners need attention” and the “inner wings are corroded.” I’ve always thought right-hand drive vehicles are neat. What do you think? Does this look like a project with a ton of potential?
I don’t think it was stored……it was used as storage!!
Apocalypse bug-out vehicle. Put on a moose killer push bar on the front, and cut out a few gun ports, add the other required amenities, you’re good to go!
I think maybe I’m letting my imagination run amok, too much coffee.
I saw one of these once in Canada that had been converted to a go-anywhere-camper. It was very well done and extremely cool. This one has the same potential and what great fun a guy could have going hunting, fishing, exploring, or just showing off. A knowledgeable guy could potentially drive that into the woods and live for years. I would convert to diesel and bring plenty of fuel!
Tip: Make sure the frame isn’t rusty before you buy.
The bodies on these were all aluminum, that’s why you don’t see any rust. The frame is what you should check for rust!
Interesting – all the hall marks of a Marshalls of Cambridge conversion – which means it probably started life with the military. Then it has a Series 2 grille with empty headlamp sockets – but Series 2A front wings which do have the headlamps.
The “G” suffix on the registration marks it as having a build date in 1969/70 which would tie in with the Series 2 grille.
Under the bonnet is a mess – the correct 2-tone can be seen to the right of the image. There there is a crap load of additional wiring plus 2 more sirens that should not be there. I suspect given the theft rate of Landies here in the UK they were various types of car alarms. Inner wings look to have surface corrosion only and the bulk head looks OK/repairable BUT anyone thinking of buying it needs to crawl underneath with a torch and screwdriver and start jabbing the chassis. If that has rusted then you are in for serious money – a new chassis is about £1800 + VAT and shipping Then you have to find a way of lifting the body off to swap it over.
If the chassis is OK then the asking price is not bad for a Series these days. New owner will still have a ton of work to do though.
@ Neil
Good description.
If it was ex-military (and I can´t see this as a civilian ambulance in 1960s Britain), I think it would have to have been re-registered, so the “G” plate doesn´t necessarily mean it was a 1969 vehicle.
I can think of many better ways to spend 4500GBP, not to mention the 10000GBP it would take to restore into decent shape. A zombie ambulance doesn´t feel right……
Dirk, I would modify your note to read that a guy would have to work on this for years before he could drive it into the woods.
I’ve seen pix of some funky-looking British ambulances, but this has to be the most unusual. I could handle the right-side steering, as one of my late friends had a International Scout that was an ex-Mail vehicle and it had right-hand drive.
It’s sad that it’s been allowed to deteriorate like it has.
We used to run these in the Royal Netherlands Army in the late eigthies when I was doing my army service. The go-anywhere attitude was very much decreased to the high centre of gravity and relatively tight wheelbase. One of my drivers tipped one on its side when negotiating a hill….
Also, the bay could hold four stretchers and patients but we were only allowed the two bottom positions under peace time conditions. Again, not to increase the high centre of gravity.
However, when on exercises you had a great dry place to bunk down for the night instead of pitching your tent on the cold and wet ground
Joris: I liked your comment about how many patients your ambulance would carry. When I was a kid one of the local funeral homes bought a then-new 1961 Chevy Panel truck ambulance. It had two full sized gurneys and hardware to hang two aux. stretchers; but I never saw it used beyond two patients. In the ’80s our standby ambulance service (we covered sporting events) bought a 1971 high top Cadillac ambulance, that if push-came-to show, we could transport up to five patients: one on the gurney, one aux. stretcher placed on the squad bench and two hung from the ceiling; and a sit-up patient could sit on the #2 jump seat. I don’t recall, however, ever transporting more than two at one time in it. To give you a bit of a chuckle: Two of my team-leaders and myself were assistant scoutmasters for a Boy Scout troop; and one time when the Scoutarama came around, the kids all voted to do “first aid” as their theme. To that end we brought the big Cadillac ambulance inside. The kids all demonstrated their first aid skills by applying bandages, splints, etc; to the “wounded” scouts. But the highlight came when over 200 scouts stood in line most of the day waiting for their turn to be put on a gurney and rolled into the back of the ambulance. If we had charged “admission” for that, we would’ve made a fortune that day!
I own an ambulance and made it special. I have lived in it on many occasions.