The 80 inch Mulliner estate cars

[Mooloolah-Paul]

This is a true story as accurate as I can remember it. If anyone else has any information about the remaining eleven Mulliner cars I would be very pleased to hear about them.

In about 1969, on a Sunday, my brother Phil and I were driving from Harlow to Stevenage in his ex-post office Morris minor van when he stopped suddenly and backed up. Phil claimed he could "smell" a landrover. In a roadside garage through a hole in a fence we could see the distinctive front bumper.

Behind the fence was the weirdest landrover either of us had ever seen and a weird colour too. The next day Phil went back to the garage and heard the owner was fed up with it as it wouldn't start and might sell it.
That evening Phil paid 65 pounds for it knowing it wouldn't start despite a cleaned fuel tank, new battery, fuel pump, fuel lines etc.

We towed it back to Harlow with my old Standard panel van which was a journey in itself. The trouble was that it had a Morris Minor rotor arm and with the correct one fitted it ran like a sewing machine. Phil drove it back to Lancashire and started restoration. He wrote to Rover in Solihull with all the vehicle numbers.

Rover wrote back saying it was a 1950 vehicle and one of twelve prototypes built by Mulliner, the Rolls Royce body builders, but Rover never continued production with Mulliner. It seems they stuck with Tickford for the remainder. The vehicle is KYM 725 and if you want to see pictures of it look here Land Rovers Of The UK. 3 pictures from off roading photos on webshots (http://rides.webshots.com/album/344259925FOHluc'start=12)

Phil sold it to emigrate to Australia and the vehicle was sold at Stratford on Avon on May 12 1977 according to the catalogue for sale on e-bay.

The restoration was interesting. The original grille had been butchered to take the later headlights so Phil had to source the original grille and original headlights which he got from an ex-army store in Doncaster. They were also used on the rear of army trucks and Ferguson tractors.
I recall the car was sage green and I don't think it was 2-tone but not sure. Phil wanted it the "proper" dark green and has been that colour ever since.

We had a lot of fun going caving in the Yorkshire Dales in "Phil's mobile hen hut" as the caving club called it. One dark night with a flat battery we had to remove the spark plugs and wind it about 100 yards up out of a frozen creek bed using the starting handle.

Interestingly most people now think KYM 725 is a 1949 Tickford. But park it next to a Tickford and you can see there's a big difference in shape. It's a 1950 Mulliner and there is no mistaking those beautiful Rolls Royce doors on it with the little silver levers and the soft solid click as they close.

Regards, Mooloolah-Paul :):BigThumb:

[Scallops]

..... Phil claimed he could "smell" a landrover. ...

Did it smell like.....oil??? :D :p

PS - KYM 725 is a very interesting vehicle.....I bet the body panels actually fit on this "Rolls Rover"

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3774/paulo.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/i/paulo.jpg/)

[JDNSW]

According to the recently published book by John Smith on Series 1 Landrovers, the Mulliner station wagons were made as an interim model made to order between when the Tickford was dropped and the introduction of the 86" station wagon in 1954. These were very different, having a traditional "woody" station wagon body rather than the metal exterior of the Tickford. Very few were made, and eleven is a likely figure. It seems that only one now exists and is in the USA. The picture Scallops has posted looks like a Tickford to me.

John

[123rover50]

James Taylors book shows several pictures of KYM725 as a early 1950 Tickford. Chassis no R06200035, Restored by Ken Wheelwright. The paint shown is two tone, light green on top bronze green lower.

Didiman

[LRO53]

http://abcentral.zapto.org/Mulliners_Station_Wagon.jpg

Here is a photo of a Mulliners Station Wagon and below is a Tickford Station Wagon. The Mulliners above is very different to the Tickford and there is little doubt now days that KYM is a Tickford Station Wagon.

http://abcentral.zapto.org/TickfordStationWagonKYM.jpg

[260AC]

Hi Paul,

Very interesting story and it is always great to hear these old stories. I hate in many ways to say that Rover in the 70's wasn't really that on top of its history. We know this especially from all the myths about the pre pro's that Tony Hutchings was told from those days and is all well documented. For example R16 which was the well known Service dept vehicle up untill 1980 was at first discribed as R22 in1974, then the vehicle with the chassis cut open and much modified (L09), then it was found and to be R16 and the myths started on its registration. It was used on trade plates at the factory, but currently has HNX 331 as another historic error had been been made.

The same thing even happened to the Tickford station wagons. Someone at Rover told Hutchings in the 70's they were done by Abbey Panels first up and that is what everyone thought for a while. It wasn't until the early 80's that it was really confirmed that Tickford were the coach builders made the 1949 to 1951 model Land Rover Station Wagon.

So that said, KYM since 77 has been owned by big name collectors after your brother. Richard Beadall firstly, then John Smith, then Ken Wheelwright who still has her. Ken has owned and restored a number of the Tickford Wagon's now but has kept KYM and still takes her on runs here and there.

I hope we havn't ruined a family story but there is little doubt that this is the case with KYM and the research that has been done on these vehicles since the early 70's,

Mike Bishop

LR Series One Club
80" Techical Officer

[JDNSW]

Just as a correction to the title of this thread - despite the fact that the English seem to have been reluctant to use the term, Rover always referred to the vehicles as Station Wagons, not estate cars. I have a copy of their first brochure (in John Smith's book) in front of me as I write.

John

[260AC]

Just as a correction to the title of this thread - despite the fact that the English seem to have been reluctant to use the term, Rover always referred to the vehicles as Station Wagons, not estate cars. I have a copy of their first brochure (in John Smith's book) in front of me as I write.

John

The term 'Estate car' was one that Tony Hutchings used in the 70's and the early 80's. He came up with term 'sage green' for the early paint colour and people used it for years. Rover never used these names in the late 40's or 50's. We now have most of the documents from then or can easily go and view this info so all usually say 'Station Wagon'. In the early days of S1 research names like these were coined as nobody knew what the correct terms were.

Tony also used that kind of language in the early Register newsletters. It sounds all so out of date now but thankfully he started building enthusiasm and interest in the early vehicles back then.

Here is a link to the Rover Service Bulletin of 01/12/1948 annoucing the chassis number sequences for the 'Land Rover Station Wagon'

http://www.lrsoc.com/forum/forum_files/ServiceBulletin5031.pdf

[Grockle]

In the current issue of LRO there is a picture of Ken Wheelwright with the Tickford getting 2nd prize at a LR show I can't remember where.

[muz22z]

I was in the UK last month and saw KYM at the LRO show at Peterborough (13 Sept)

[Mooloolah-Paul]

Hi Muz,
Thanks for the picture. Can you remember if the large shallow dent is still in the rear panel on the left hand side? From the picture it is hard to see but it looks as if there is still just a hint of it. We tried to beat it out back in 1970 but you might know what aluminium is like when it stretches.

Regards, Paul

[Mooloolah-Paul]

Having talked to several people this week (Thanks John and Mike especially) and having emailed my brother Phil I think I can now put this story to rest.

Clearly KYM is a Tickford body and I can correct my original impression. There is no doubt the letter from Rover is genuine as Phil remembers it as well as I do. We don't think the letter survives and so far I haven't got any pictures of KYM from 1970.

So if Rover got it wrong why might that be? The vehicle in 1969-70 had a non-original 2 litre engine and I suspect that Rover identified the vehicle from the engine number not the VN. If so it opens up the intriguing idea that the 2 litre might have come from a real Mulliner wagon.

Many parts were non-original and Phil with some help from myself sourced many parts and he brought the car up to virtual original state. The last item was the engine. He sourced a 1600 engine and re-conditioned it. After installing it he found to his dismay an un-noticed crack in the block which was leaking water. He was so disappointed he just gave it all up and sold the car. I think that was the last straw in a stressful restoration job especially on a student budget.

Best regards, Paul

[260AC]

Paul,

Thank you for a really interesting topic to look into. Certainly you and your brother in no doubt saved a very interesting Land Rover which many people have had the pleasure to enjoy and will have for many years to come.

I know the rebuild of a Tickford can be difficult. Here is a photo of mine at the Cooma 40th in 1988 chassis R06200056 She needs one hell of a lot of work now days.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/10/663.jpg

[dennisS1]

Ye looks pretty rough Mike I will give you a couple of slabs for it, and see if I can fix it up a bit.
Dennis

[260AC]

Ye looks pretty rough Mike I will give you a couple of slabs for it, and see if I can fix it up a bit.
Dennis

It will take more than a few slabs to fix her now mate. She had a hard time in the 90's. She was dismantled to flat pack form and the chassis cut in two. This photo almost makes me cry. Anyway, she will be back.

[slug_burner]

.......... She was dismantled to flat pack form and the chassis cut in two. ......................

Why?

[260AC]

Why?

Hi Slug,

That question will remain. The owner at the time, thought that the best way forward was to replace the chassis, due to a rough-ish Holden conversion and to also dismantle the timber frame to replace any bad timber. Don't get me wrong, I am lucky to own her and I understand what was trying to be done.

One of my projects while living in the UK is to study the best restored examples of the 80" Station Wagon here. And if that meant that she has to come back 'home' to the England be restored, then so be it. She will be back.

[muz22z]

Can you remember if the large shallow dent is still in the rear panel on the left hand side?

I had a look at the picture in full screen. I cannot see a dent.

[Phil Wilson]

I was in the UK last month and saw KYM at the LRO show at Peterborough (13 Sept)

It is strange to see my Landrover after all these years. My brother Paul and I found KYM at the back of a garage in Hertfordshire.

I spent many years renovating KYM 725 and, other than the paint job and the upholstery, in the many publicity photographs it is very much as I sold it back in 1975.

I was fortunate to find many sources for original parts and was able to find virtually anything I needed. The ultimate prize was finding an original full grill and the small headlamps still in the greased paper wrappings. I never did find a spare wheel cover.

Well do I remember the many, many hours on frosty evenings in the North of England knocking the skin off my knuckles with icy spanners sticking to my flesh working on that car.

It took me to many places where I met many interesting people on a never ending search for original parts.

In answer to another thread, it had a semi permanent four wheel drive with a free wheel between the front and rear wheels. If the rear wheels slipped the drive would immediately be locked to the front wheels. It was important to make sure the rear tyres were harder than the front tyres so the front wheels would turn faster. It had a tendency to drag the front wheels in reverse leaving rubber tracks on the road. There was a ring in the floor to lock up the freewheel for full four wheel drive. I am sure everyone is familiar with all this.

Kym was originally a light powder green colour (like the inside of a Spitfire).

Everyone knew KYM 725 as the "Mobile Henhut"

Thanks Muzz for the picture, very much appreciated.

Amazing.

Phil

[JDNSW]

It is strange to see my Landrover after all these years. ......
Phil

I don't suppose you have any pictures from when you found it and were renovating it, and that you would care to post here?

John