88 SWB Station Wagons

[101RRS]

I am interested in getting an idea of how many Series 1 88 station wagons are in Aust now - so if you know someone who has one I would be interested to know.

I know of swb station wagons - one in SA, a nice blue/grey one in Sydney, one in Qld and mine. I am not sure whether the others are 88s or 86s.

For those not in the know the swb station wagon is a little different to a 86/88 with a hard top.

Unique bits are the hardtop - safari roof, alpine windows, lengthened side windows, 86 has two roof vents, 88 has four.

Station wagon badges front and rear, has a rear door instead of tailgate and a folddown step. All doors and windows have locks.

Inside has the deluxe trim, and the rear seats are four individual fold up seats that are sideways facing, not the usual bench seats.

This is mine and a pic of the rear of a restored station wagon

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/gazzz21/SWNSW2.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/gazzz21/f62f_1.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/gazzz21/2614725.jpg

Any one know of these please let us know. Pics would be good and whether it is an 86 or an 88. I suspect there are more 86s than there are of 88s.

Cheers

Garry

[chazza]

Interesting post Gary!

Is it a "safari roof" or a tropical roof?

Cheers Charlie

[101RRS]

I am not sure - tropical roof does sound correct but safari roof is also used - maybe incorrectly.

Garry

[101RRS]

According to the Series 1 reference book by Taylor the correct term is Tropical Roof. I also noted that the windows in the roof are not Alpine Windows but Alpine Lights.

Garry

[digger]

Land Rover SWB Series 2/2A/3 Canopy - eBay, Other, Car Parts, Accessories, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 17-Jul-10 16:50:39 AEST) (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230497501653&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:AU:1123)


could this be a station wagon roof...


note no alpine lights BUT second skin!! (tropical roof)

[Landy Smurf]

i dont think so well the tailgate was different

[JDNSW]

The tropical roof was an option on all Series hardtops - but standard on station wagons. The only actual differences in the hardtop for wagons were the alpine lights and vents, which means this one was not a station wagon.

The station wagons had the tropical roof, vents and deluxe trim, and the door rather than the tailgate, plus, of course, the rear seats and step. And probably a few other bits I have missed. But they are all add-ons rather than differences, except for the holes in the hardtop for the vents and alpine lights.

John

[101RRS]

So I guess no one knows of any other swb station wagons.

Guess I can assume I have the only 88 still remaining in Australia.:)

Garry

[Col.Coleman]

So I guess no one knows of any other swb station wagons.

Guess I can assume I have the only 88 still remaining in Australia.:)

Garry

Never assume anything.

There are a whole lot of landiphile's in this country that ain't lurking about on here.

CC

[101RRS]

Well unless someone can come up with some others I am sticking with my claim.:D

[Timj]

I hope you are not right cause I think I want one :).


TimJ.

[digger]

Land Rover Station Wagon Down On The Denver Street (http://jalopnik.com/5430043/land-rover-station-wagon-down-on-the-denver-street)


read down page..

[Timj]

Land Rover Station Wagon Down On The Denver Street (http://jalopnik.com/5430043/land-rover-station-wagon-down-on-the-denver-street)


read down page..

Very nice but not a Series 1 :).

TimJ.

[digger]

Very nice but not a Series 1 :).

TimJ.

Im aware, sorry, but thought it may be of interest anyway...I stumbled across it looking for something else.

[JDNSW]

Well unless someone can come up with some others I am sticking with my claim.:D

They are probably in very short supply. Bear in mind that during the period Series 1 station wagons were built, Landrovers were assembled in Australia. I think I am correct in saying that no station wagons were assembled here. A trickle of 107 wagons were imported, but the cost of an imported 88 station wagon compared to a locally assembled 88 fitted with deluxe trim and rear seats would have ensured a very small demand for the wagon.

I suspect that the very few 88 wagons that have ever existed in Australia were private imports, mostly coming with immigrants. And it is likely that not many of these are still in existence, although there are probably a few sheds still occupied by grandpa's old car!

John

[101RRS]

Hi John - some swb station wagons were made here - mine was assembled by the Pressed Metal Company. As there is no differentiation in chassis numbers between normal swbs and wagons I suspect that the specialist kits were brought in separately to the CKD cars and then added when ordered.

Garry

[JDNSW]

Hi John - some swb station wagons were made here - mine was assembled by the Pressed Metal Company. As there is no differentiation in chassis numbers between normal swbs and wagons I suspect that the specialist kits were brought in separately to the CKD cars and then added when ordered.

Garry

So it seems I was wrong in guessing none were assembled here. Which leaves the possibility of rather more existing. But remember that in the 1950s, four wheel drives were almost invariably working vehicles - unlike estate owners in the UK, most wealthy (and you had to be to pay the extra for a wagon) estate owners either never visited their estates, or if they were ones who did (and remember this period includes the wool boom) would disdain luxury - they might buy a new Landrover every year, but probably got a soft top. I suspect the few sold were company vehicles to allow senior management and other VIPs to visit worksites in (relative) comfort. I would not be surprised if most sold went to the SMHEA.

In the 1950s the market for recreational four wheel drives was non-existent.

John

[101RRS]

According to Diana (Lots a Landies) mine was sold to the owners of the major retail store, Anthony Hordens in Sydney. Not clear on whether it was used in the store or by the family on a property.

Given the layout of the vehicle it would have been use more as a family/business vehicle rather than a farm hack - much like a RR today compared with a defender cab chassis.

Garry

[JDNSW]

According to Diana (Lots a Landies) mine was sold to the owners of the major retail store, Anthony Hordens in Sydney. Not clear on whether it was used in the store or by the family on a property.

Given the layout of the vehicle it would have been use more as a family/business vehicle rather than a farm hack - much like a RR today compared with a defender cab chassis.

Garry

Not exactly - most RR today are used as suburban hacks, but I take your point - what the RR was intended for! But very few people in the 1950s had such a use for a car, although there would have been a few. Most property owners rich enough to afford one would have bought something that was more suited to long distance travel, usually at high speed. With the currency situation limiting choice, the most common would probably have been big Humbers, although there were a significant number of Rolls Royce (I can remember reading in the fifties of the grazier who praised the glass divider in his Rolls Royce - it stopped the dogs licking his face when he was driving). The king cab five seat Armstrong Siddley was a quite common compromise. All of these were more suitable for lang distances than the Series 1.

Mind you, in 1963 I drove non-stop from the other side of Longreach to Sydney in my Series 1 88 hardtop!

John

John

[LRO53]

Looks like an 86" to me.

The front wheel does not sit centered to the 88" wing.

Pics below.

Do you have a chassis number?

[101RRS]

It is an 88 - delivery information etc has all been verified.

Garry

[LRO53]

It is an 88 - delivery information etc has all been verified.

Garry

Oh ok no problems.

Just looks like a 86" that's all. Does it have a chassis number? It is located in the usual place's.

[101RRS]

Oh ok no problems.

Just looks like a 86" that's all. Does it have a chassis number? It is located in the usual place's.

Yes the chassis number has been checked - data plate and chassis match as does the Pressed Metal Corp number. I just do not have them at hand at the moment. The engine that is in it is not the original - I have its original engine number from an old rego label. The current engine is a much earlier siamese engine rather than the correct spreadbore - this happened under the ownership of the 3rd previous owner when the car was being used on a farm in northern Vic in the late 70s. I have a spreadbore not too many numbers from the original to go in when it is rebuilt.

I have also spoken to the previous 2 owners so have a lot of verbal history - as I indicated, Diana has looked up the delivery records and it was delivered to the Anthony Hordens family in Sydney in 1957.

If you think the wheel does not look centred, I think it is just the way the pic was taken.

Garry

[LRO53]

Yes the chassis number has been checked - data plate and chassis match as does the Pressed Metal Corp number. I just do not have them at hand at the moment. The engine that is in it is not the original - I have its original engine number from an old rego label. The current engine is a much earlier siamese engine rather than the correct spreadbore - this happened under the ownership of the 3rd previous owner when the car was being used on a farm in northern Vic in the late 70s. I have a spreadbore not too many numbers from the original to go in when it is rebuilt.

I have also spoken to the previous 2 owners so have a lot of verbal history - as I indicated, Diana has looked up the delivery records and it was delivered to the Anthony Hordens family in Sydney in 1957.

If you think the wheel does not look centred, I think it is just the way the pic was taken.

Garry

Thanks for the info. If you can lay your hands on the chassis number i can get you some more history on it from Gaydon here in the UK.

Despatch Date's, Export Details etc

[101RRS]

PM sent

[JDNSW]

It sounds as if you are getting a lot of its history - a writeup on its life and various ups and downs, together with the sort of owners it has had would make a good story, when you have a bit of spare time!

John

[101RRS]

Was doing some surfing of the series 1 section and came across this thread http://www.aulro.com/afvb/nsw-act-reports/97258-australia-day-motorfest-2010-warning-picture-heavy.htm

In there are some pics of another 88 station wagon
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/gazzz21/2j61hsx.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/gazzz21/jpbklh.jpg

I believe it is owned by someone in the Sydney Land Rover Club.

So there are at least 2 88 station wagons in Aust. Still looking for more though. Nice colour - much better than the standard grey.

Maybe some keen person should start a register of series 1s in Aust.;)

Garry

[Lotz-A-Landies]

No not a member of the LROC, an ex-member of the Rover Owner's Club. The vehicle is a daily driver on SIII running gear with 11" brakes.

The colour is RAF Blue.

[Hartley]

One of the Hordern family (John Hordern) is the owner of Hunter Wine Services in Muswellbrook. He may be able to give you some info on the history of the vehicle if it was a family car and not just one of the business fleet.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Anthony Horden and Sons were a department store on the corners of George, Goulburn and Pitt Streets in Sydney, when that was part of the main shopping precinct. They were a must visit for people going shopping in the city and had a cafeteria on Goulburn Street side that was a regular venue for many shoppers.

They also had a large grazing property adjacent the Hume Highway outside Camden on the Razorback. On their property, at the top of the Razorback ridge and fairly close to the highway, was a large oak tree. This tree had its understory eaten by the cattle so the lower branches were dead flat at the height the cattle could reach. This same tree became the logo of the Anthony Horden and Sons store along with the moto "while I live I grow" inscribed underneath. As fate would have it, the tree was struck by lightening in the 1960s and the tree started dying as did the Anthony Hordens empire.

AFAIK - John Horden is actually Anthony John Horden, I did my midwifery with his wife (at the time of their marriage).

[LRO53]

Thanks for the info. If you can lay your hands on the chassis number i can get you some more history on it from Gaydon here in the UK.

Despatch Date's, Export Details etc

Hi Garry,

As promised. Took me a good 20min to find your vehicle.... There was a lot of Series 1's

Your vehicle was in this batch of 6 to Grenville Motors.

113700236
113700237
113700238
113700239
113700240
113700241

Despached In: 27 Sep 1956
Despached Out: 27 Sep 1956

Batch Number 25 to Grenville Motors Sydney

[101RRS]

Thanks for that - from my other research it was delivered to the customer on 7/1/1957 so it sat around somewhere for four months.

Despatched in and out on the 27 Sep 1956 - does that mean it was built in a day??

Cheers

Garry

[260AC]

Thanks for that - from my other research it was delivered to the customer on 7/1/1957 so it sat around somewhere for four months.

Despatched in and out on the 27 Sep 1956 - does that mean it was built in a day??

Cheers

Garry

No not quite.

By the way here is a photo I took of the reading room at Gaydon last Friday on my way to Heathrow to come here to see the family.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ (http://img835.imageshack.us/i/oct2010293.jpg/)

Its of LR053 trawling through the microfilm of the dispatch books to try and find where your sequence was. Other bloke is Chris Goddard, Arthur's younger son who we were showing all his Dads entry's in the real books which don't come out unless you have a really good reason!!!

Anyhow that date is the date the CKD packs were sent from Solihull. They almost always went as a set of 6, so it looks like yours was assembled in late 56 in Sydney.

Has anyone seen if the production records of PMC exist. This would record all the relevant numbers of the vehicles listed for guarantee purpose.

LR's own production do exist and I will try to get to them but they don't hold the production records for CKD plants

[101RRS]

No not quite.

By the way here is a photo I took of the reading room at Gaydon last Friday on my way to Heathrow to come here to see the family.

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/1162/oct2010293.th.jpg (http://img835.imageshack.us/i/oct2010293.jpg/)

Its of LR053 trawling through the microfilm of the dispatch books to try and find where your sequence was. Other bloke is Chris Goddard, Arthur's younger son who we were showing all his Dads entry's in the real books which don't come out unless you have a really good reason!!!

Anyhow that date is the date the CKD packs were sent from Solihull. They almost always went as a set of 6, so it looks like yours was assembled in late 56 in Sydney.

Has anyone seen if the production records of PMC exist. This would record all the relevant numbers of the vehicles listed for guarantee purpose.

LR's own production do exist and I will try to get to them but they don't hold the production records for CKD plants

That is really great - sorry I misunderstood you original dates - silly me thought that was in and out through Grenville:angel:.

Lotz a Landies - Diana has access to the Grenville documents and that is where I got the delivery date, original registration number and who the car was first sold too.

Yesterday, I sent an email to the family who first owned my car seeking any information they may still have so am hopeful for a response in the next week or so.

I appreciate your efforts - thanks a lot.

Cheers

Garry

[101RRS]

I have sent an email to Hunter Wine Services - no response as yet but here is hoping that the family might still have some information.

In doing research on these vehicles I am am beginning to form the opinion without any real evidence that there may have been some differences between Australian and UK vehicles. Books like Taylor basically show Brit vehicles with passing references to vehicles in other countries so restored vehicles tend to be rebuilt using UK references.

So - does any one have pics (colour preferred but not necessary) taken in the 50s and 60s of un restored swb station wagons that they would be prepared to put up.

Thanks

Garry

[jethro]

Seen your post on the series1 swb station wagon from way back , as I am a major fan of both the long wheel base and swb because they are so rare.there is a genuine dark green
swb station wagon in the south of wa in poor condition but the new owner is determined to restore it was he is aware how rare they are and has massive character. This is the only swb sw I've seen in wa.plenty swb sw in NZ where I started my series1 interest/obsession. SAD:):):)

[jethro]

If you are still interested ,I believe I have come across a very rare in aus. 1956 swb series 1 ,south of perth WA.the landy swb has the long top alpine lights which were unique only to the swb series 1 landies.it has the long rear side windows and rear side windows again only on the s1 swb station wagon .the current owner was told the station wagon is ex snowy river.this landy is parked along side 2xrare (series1) long wheel base station wagons and a 2a fire engine .All are for sale .as he is focused on an incredible 130 inch v12 station wagon project.