Anyone familiar with this R.N. Renault?
 

I guess the European Common Market is in full swing when the Royal Navy purchases French trucks. Blimey! John Austin must be rolling over in his grave!
I saw this vehicle in the Spring of '98 at a NATO exercise (Op Marcot) in NFLD. The UDT's from several countries were present, along with the U.S. Navy and their trained dolphins. (that's another story) Never got to talk to any of the Brits but they used this truck to tow a rigid hulled inflatable. Anybody seen one of these before and/or know it's correct designation?


:cheers: CHIMO! :drunk:

Re: Anyone familiar with this R.N. Renault?
 

Derek,

The bodywork is not familiar but guess it is for a diving team, hence the large access doors on the body. The actual truck although Renault, is the successor to Commer and British Dodge trucks, one time built at Dunstable but probably not anymore. The Brit Army used these for certain no-combat roles, such as box body vans, etc. It looks like the Bedford fleet will be replaced by a US made truck and Oshkosh are supplying the tank transporters. Pinzgauar (spelling?) are replacing Land Rovers in some roles, but at least they are built in England. Foden and Leyland DAF are owned by Paccar. Britain put wheels under all corners of the world now look where we are :mad:

Richard

Re: Re: Anyone familiar with this R.N. Renault?
 

So very true! Pick any day in the early '70's at Hillside High School in West Vancouver and you would have seen:

Austin Healey 3000, Bug-eyed Sprite
Triumph TR3, TR4, TR4A, TR6, Herald
MG A, B, BGT, Midget
Mini Cooper, CooperS
smattering of Austins, Vauxhalls, Sunbeams, Rovers, and 1 Humber

Driving around West Vancouver, financially out of the reach of students:

Lotus Europa, Super 7
Jaguar E type 4.2L., XJ 120
TVR
Triumph Stag
Rover 3500
OOOps, sorry, forgot my brother's Morris and Commer delivery

Wha' happened?



:cheers: CHIMO! :drunk:

Renault
 

Interesting photo: you would be amazed at the importd makes used...the 'pool' at Portsmouth has a bewildering array of vehicles parked up ...

The Renault could have been a Dunstable-built chassis...the Army had former Dodge then Renault 4 x 4 Reynolds-Boughton conversions? Today what was IBC Vehicles in Luton produce Vauxhall, Opel, Renault and Nissan vans, lhd and rhd. However the company is really part of the GM empire.

David,speaking of empires !!
 

Being the former owner of a 1962 Mini 850 with the start push button on the floor, 1968 Mini 1000,1969(the last year imported into Canada) 1275cc Mini Cooper S,and a 1972 British Racing Green MGB convertible(The last year they were imported before they added the lead converter which lost apprrox 25 BHP),BBC World News the other night aired aan article on the official takeover by China,of the MGB patent to manufacture a limited number of the modern version of the car

OH!!THE HORROR OF IT ALL!!

I got my driver's license in 1969 on a 1957 Morris Minor, and my very first car was a 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite...

All right Geoff my man.Wheen aand if we ddo meet,we;ll have more than jusst militaria.In 1965 my brother,while stationed at CFB Winterpeg had a Morris Minor,wwhere.when you wanted to turn left or right,an illuminated arm sprung up between the forrnt aand rear door posts.The only probleem was that you'd have to reach an arm out behind you,to push the sucker back into the post

Aha!
 

Trafficators! Lucas made, and you can get new ones now. My Dad had a 1955 Ford Popular, E93A which had them and my brother and I would bang on the door pillar when they got stuck to release them!

First car: 1959 (1960 Model) Ford 105E Anglia, 1973. About a mile up the road was a 1959 Canadian-built Chevrolet Impala Convertible. Rusted in pieces!

Re: Aha!
 

My Dad had them on his '53 Consul...
I learned to drive on that little beast..Dad bought it new...
They popped out when the indicator lever was selected and then fell back on gravity..if my memory stands me in good stead..
I don't remember the engine being quite as robust as the one shown here..
http://cgi.ebay.ca/1953-pro-street-c...QQcmdZViewItem

Re: David,speaking of empires !!
 

Western civilization is doomed!

I learned to drive in my brother's Morris Oxford. 1.6 litre engine, built like a tank and ran forever.

And is still in production in India as the Hindustan Ambassador.

http://www.philseed.com/indiacars.html for instance.

R.

If I remember correctly, Austin built a contemporary of the Morris Oxford called the Cambridge. They were both very similar in appearance and performance. Part of the "University" series no doubt!



:cheers: CHIMO! :drunk:

Actually...
 

The 'County' series started with the A40 Dorset/Devon then continued with the Somerset and was joined by the A70 Hampshire then Hereford models, and then in 1955 by the A50/55 Cambridge models. Morris had their Isis and Oxford, Cowley models because Morris's car plant was at Cowley, Oxford, near the River Thames which is the Isis in Oxford. Of course by '55 Austin and Morris were in BMC together, but the replacements, the Farina-designed models were the badge-engineered versions, with MG Magnette, Riley and Wolseley versions.

Re: Actually...
 

Thanks for the info Dave. I couldn't remember if Oxford was a university or not.
While we're on the topic of names perhaps you could solve a riddle for me regarding the naming of WW II British bombers? Excluding RAF use of American aircraft the names were: Lancaster, Hampden, Bolingbroke, Blenheim, Hereford, Wellington, Stirling, Whitley, Albemarle, Sunderland, Halifax...is there a pattern to the naming of these aircraft?




:cheers: CHIMO! :drunk:

Names
 

These are all English/Scottish towns and cities.