Thread: 1951 80" wooden coachwork station wagon identification help please

All that wood would add some weight to it . The weight was one of the problems with the Tickford S/W's

Originally Posted by 1950landy

All that wood would add some weight to it . The weight was one of the problems with the Tickford S/W's

Yes you're probably quite right about that, it certainly gives it a unique look though i think.

As you comment, it is not a Tickford. These had a wooden framed body with alloy external panels that completely replaced all Rover bodywork behind the firewall.

There were some other (very rare) similar wagons built, notably by Mulliner, but the same comment applies to these.

Yours is not one of any of these. From the pictures, all the standard 80" bodywork has been retained except the tailgate. Effectively, what you have is a coachbuilt hardtop.

While I have not seen one exactly like this, I'm reminded of the welder/workshop/camper 86" owned by Colin ("Gromit") on here. While this looks like a standard hardtop, it is in fact a coachbuilt hardtop.

It is even closer to the bodywork fitted to Barbara Toy's 80" "Pollyanna", which was in Australia in 1958, and widely publicised at the time. (It is not that vehicle - its whereabouts is known!)

I conclude that it is a one off station wagon, built locally be a bodybuilder or carpenter who had at least seen pictures of some of these wagons. In the 1950s thee were still a lot of these people around, building mostly special bodies for buses, delivery vehicles etc, including horsedrawn vehicles, although they were rapidly becoming a trade of the past.

Nick,

Here's mine as mentioned by JDNSW.

DSCF4232 by Colin Radley, on Flickr

Hardtop is canvas covered plywood, like the old bondwood caravans.
Originally had windows both sides but then when the original owner retired it was used for camping & fishing so one window was blocked off and the louvres added along with an internal storage system. Behind the louvres there was a kero fridge and stove.
All made & modified I believe by the original owner. 1956 Series 1 with PTO welder (home made)

Yours could have been either professionally made or owner made.
The roof panel looks either professionally made or re-purposed from something else.

I had fun rebuilding part of the hardtop. All the timber dimensions were odd Imperial sizes so I was machining timber down to match the size originally used.

Best of luck with the restoration of another unique Land Rover.



Colin

Thank you for the info John,
Yes i think you are right about it being locally built, as the vehicle number is a RHD export model, I was thinking perhaps an australian company may have done the coachwork after its arrival here, perhaps a locally made version of the station wagon after they saw the ones produced in the UK.
I assume they obviously never made many as nobody i have spoken to have seen one quite like it.
Thanks also on the info on Barbara toy's Pollyanna, I've been looking into her story a little after i read your comment and am going to try to get hold of some of her early books to read, she sounds like she has had some incredible adventures!
Have a great day, take care.
Nick

Originally Posted by JDNSW

As you comment, it is not a Tickford. These had a wooden framed body with alloy external panels that completely replaced all Rover bodywork behind the firewall.

There were some other (very rare) similar wagons built, notably by Mulliner, but the same comment applies to these.

Yours is not one of any of these. From the pictures, all the standard 80" bodywork has been retained except the tailgate. Effectively, what you have is a coachbuilt hardtop.

While I have not seen one exactly like this, I'm reminded of the welder/workshop/camper 86" owned by Colin ("Gromit") on here. While this looks like a standard hardtop, it is in fact a coachbuilt hardtop.

It is even closer to the bodywork fitted to Barbara Toy's 80" "Pollyanna", which was in Australia in 1958, and widely publicised at the time. (It is not that vehicle - its whereabouts is known!)

I conclude that it is a one off station wagon, built locally be a bodybuilder or carpenter who had at least seen pictures of some of these wagons. In the 1950s thee were still a lot of these people around, building mostly special bodies for buses, delivery vehicles etc, including horsedrawn vehicles, although they were rapidly becoming a trade of the past.

Thanks Colin,
wow that is a beauty! I bet you have a lot of fun in that.
I cant wait to get mine finished and on the road, But as yo can see from the pics I have quite a bit of work to do! haha
Have a great day.

Originally Posted by gromit

Nick,

Here's mine as mentioned by JDNSW.


Hardtop is canvas covered plywood, like the old bondwood caravans.
Originally had windows both sides but then when the original owner retired it was used for camping & fishing so one window was blocked off and the louvres added along with an internal storage system. Behind the louvres there was a kero fridge and stove.
All made & modified I believe by the original owner. 1956 Series 1 with PTO welder (home made)

Yours could have been either professionally made or owner made.
The roof panel looks either professionally made or re-purposed from something else.

I had fun rebuilding part of the hardtop. All the timber dimensions were odd Imperial sizes so I was machining timber down to match the size originally used.

Best of luck with the restoration of another unique Land Rover.



Colin

Originally Posted by 80inch Nick

wow that is a beauty! I bet you have a lot of fun in that.

Hi Nick,

I don't use it as much as I should and the home made welder is still to be fired up in anger.

Thinking about your 80".....the roof looked familiar. I sent JDNSW a PM but then it came to me. There was a company in QLD called Athol Hedges who made steel hardtops for Land Rovers and yours looks similar except for the change in angle just behind the door.

They were coach builders (literally....they built coaches amongst other things).

Here is a picture of one on a Land Rover a fellow forum member owns.


project bruno


I don't know anything about Athol Hedges but I'm sure someone on here might do.
Was it one of their roof panels or was the conversion done by them ?????

Where it changes angle does the welding of the joint look different to the corners ?

Athol Hedges – Queensland Omnibus & Coach Society Inc.


Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

Hi Nick,

I don't use it as much as I should and the home made welder is still to be fired up in anger.

Thinking about your 80".....the roof looked familiar. I sent JDNSW a PM but then it came to me. There was a company in QLD called Athol Hedges who made steel hardtops for Land Rovers and yours looks similar except for the change in angle just behind the door.

They were coach builders (literally....they built coaches amongst other things).

Here is a picture of one on a Land Rover a fellow forum member owns.


project bruno


I don't know anything about Athol Hedges but I'm sure someone on here might do.
Was it one of their roof panels or was the conversion done by them ?????

Where it changes angle does the welding of the joint look different to the corners ?

Athol Hedges – Queensland Omnibus & Coach Society Inc.


Colin

Athol Hedges was a large coach and motor body building company. At one time they built all the bus bodies for Brisbane City Council. The Hedges hardtop was made for Annand & Thompson when they were Land Rover distributors for Qld. They were steel and prone to severe rust. There would be few survivors. Never used by Leyland Truck and Bus after they took over distribution.