Thread: Land Rovers during the Snowy Scheme

Originally Posted by bob10

Another interesting vehicle of the Snowy scheme, Bob

Thornycroft Mighty Antar

Once again a website with inaccurate information.

The Meteor and Meteorite engines were designed by Rolls Royce but were actually produced by the Rover Co Ltd in a technology swap when Rover engineers were having problems working with Frank Whittle.

The Meteor engine was the tank version of the Merlin. So if we call the Meteor a Rolls Royce do we call the jet engine a Rover?

If you do a search on the Land Cruiser you'll only find one picture of one parked in the main road in Cooma,Series Ones and Willys did all the work. Pat

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

What is the vehicle in the background in that photo?

Originally Posted by stealth

What is the vehicle in the background in the second photo?

Jeep, isn't it? Either Willys or Ford.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Jeep, isn't it? Either Willys or Ford.

John

Yes the very earliest small 4X4 vehciles on the project were in fact ex WWII GPW and MB Jeeps. The reports indicated that they were already very well worn by the time they were transferred to the project.

You can also see what looks like another Jeep in the far right of the second image of the third post in the thread. By the 1952 date of the image it would be very well worn.



Remember also that many of the contractors and consultants on the projects were using their own vehicles, and this could have included war surplus Jeeps.

What great pics!
I was born in 1956 (In England, made it here 1966)..... In some way I wish I'd been born earlier so that an adventure like the Snowy without roads could have been available to me. I love the Snowy, it's still a piece of paradise, but to have seen it then must have been truly awe inspiring.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

I don't think the background vehicle is a Jeep. The bonnet looks the wrong shape and the headlights in the wrong position relative to the bonnet? Could it be something like a Dodge Powerwagon or similar?

Originally Posted by cjc_td5

I don't think the background vehicle is a Jeep. The bonnet looks the wrong shape and the headlights in the wrong position relative to the bonnet? Could it be something like a Dodge Powerwagon or similar?

Bit hard to be certain, but I still think it is a Jeep. Too small to be a power wagon or similar, and I can't think of anything else similar that existed at the time. At the time, virtually the only small four wheel drives in Australia were Jeeps (all 1942-45 and ex-army), being replaced gradually by new Landrovers.

Jeeps may well have had modifications by then as well!

John