Model History

Land Rovers are many things to many people, but if there is one thing they are not…it is lightweight.  From the first prototype in 1948 to the most recent LR4, Rovers are known for their amazing off-road capability and their hefty scale tipping weights. All that off-road prowess comes at a cost, save but for one rather obscure member of the family whose whole purpose was to trim the waistline. In the 1960’s, the British military needed an all-purpose vehicle that could be transported via helicopter or cargo plane. The Westland Wessex helicopter payload was 2500lbs max, while the Argosy cargo plane needed to fit two Rovers side by side. The current Series II of the time simply weighed too much and was too wide for the task, so Land Rover got to work.

They took an existing 88″ wheelbase Series truck, narrowed it by 4″, stripped a bunch of non-essentials (doors, windscreen, some body panels, spare wheel, hood and the rear seats) and added functionality allowing it to be disassembled and reassembled with relative ease. Production began in 1968, and through the years it was offered as either a “General Service” 12-volt model or as a “Fitted For Radio” 24-volt model. In 1972, the Lightweight was updated along side the new Series III. In total, about 18,000 Lightweight models made it into production between 1968 and 1985.

Car History

Second Daily Auctions is proud to present this very rare 88″ Air Portable / Lightweight Series III. This is quite possibly one of the most rare Lightweight variants in the United States given it was a factory left hand drive and was converted to a 12V for ease of use. The seller reports this one to be a great driver and free of corrosion or rust. It is believed this truck lived an easy life, being originally assigned to the BATU Suffield Canada Guard Duty for use in the summer months for British Military Training. It has a clean clear title and will ship from New York.

Exterior

This entire truck received a mechanical (New Master Cylinder, Brake System, and conversion to 12 volt electrics) and cosmetic refurbishment less than 2,500 miles ago. The tires, canvas soft top, and galvanized soft top hardware are all new within the last 100 miles. There is a dent along the passenger side under the door that is noted and seen in the pictures. The seller suggests this can be easily repaired. Also to note, there is a dent in the rear crossmember just along the bottom to the the left of the opening for the NATO trailer plug. The seller does have the NATO plug which will be included in the sale.