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This vehicle is currently on display at the Museum
This vehicle is one of the standardised range of ‘combat' vehicles introduced in the 1950s and was intended to replace the wartime US built Jeep. It was used as a general purpose personnel and stores carrier in front line workshops, one being the personal vehicle of the officer commanding. The Champs remained in service from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s but were always expensive to maintain and were uneconomical in their use of fuel. They were eventually replaced by the cheaper but adequate Land Rover.
The Champs used the smallest of a range of Rolls Royce designed standard engines.
A second Champ in the collection is fully rigged on an air drop platform. These platforms allowed quite heavy vehicles to be parachuted into forward areas with airborne forces and would have been used by the advanced workshop detachment of a REME Airborne Workshop or by REME Light Aid Detachments. REME officers and tradesmen were involved in the design and rigging of airdrop platforms.
The illustrated Champ has Chassis No 2625, Army Registration 26BE25 (Civilian Registration Q 25 OOR) and is roadworthy. The Champ on the air drop platform has Chassis No 7124 and Army Registration 71BE24. Both were rebuilt by Lt Col Matheson in Northern Ireland during the period 1990 to 1991.
Length |
3.66 m (12 ft) |
Width |
1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
Height |
1.87 m (6 ft 1½ in) - to top of canopy |
Wheelbase |
2.13 m (7 ft) |
Engine |
Rolls Royce B40 Four cylinder petrol |
Further information on Austin Champs can be found on the personal pages of Malcolm Hayes and Paul Freimanis.
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Email Enquiries or telephone 0118 976 3375 for further information
Page produced by Peter Eldred - Last updated 24 July 2004