80s British Vehicles, Help Wanted

[infelix]

I'm looking for some help with an upcoming
project of mine, an 80s Doctor Who game
that I've been planning for a while.

I have most of the things for it taken care
of but I'm having big difficulties finding vehicles
to use for it, a couple of Bedford(?) trucks,
some form of military vehicle that can be
used as a UNIT command vehicle and a APC.

The APC, if I can't find a better one will most
likely be a Saxon from Sloppy Jalopy but I
hope that I can find something better.

My knowledge about vehicles in general are very
low so I would appreciate some help.

[Thunderchicken]

How about Land Rovers? There's oodles of them on e-bay. I use them for my U.N.I.T type department in my Quatermass games. They are pretty timeless so you'll easily find some that will fit in an 80's setting:

[Arlequín]

The FV105 Sultan was the purpose built command vehicle for armoured and mechanised units, following on from the FV432C and FV610 Saracen ACV... but I guess none of those are available, even as diecasts. The AT105C was the command post version of the Saxon, but I couldn't say whether the British Army used them.

As TC says, the humble Land Rover is your best bet. Most command posts for 'non-armoured' units consisted of several SWB Land Rovers FFR (fitted for radio), which are best depicted as ordinary soft-top ones with more aerials and a big radio, radar or similar device in the back. Add in a Bedford or 1ton Landrover, or two and that's pretty authentic.

For a 'low profile' unit like UNIT, the Land Rover/Bedford combo is perfect, as unless you live near a GKN factory or Catterick/Tidworth etc, the sight of a tracked vehicle always draws a crowd of rubberneckers.

[janner]

Yeah a Sultan would be much better than a Saxon and Sloppy J have one en route 

[anevilgiraffe]

there are some not cheap corgi bedfords on ebay - ww2, but were still in use (they crop up in things like Who and Day of the Triffids), they also do a communications version which I consider for a mobile HQ before I got Bedford OB

http://anevilgiraffe.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/unit-mobile-hq.html

[Hobbit]

The Sloppy Jalopy Humber Pig might be more suited to an internal security role in the 80s.

You could also use a Saracen, these were widely used in the internal security role in the 80s:

http://www.britannia-miniatures.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=228_233&products_id=2553&osCsid=f546d3460e09f320dada7c2925cb8a22

and

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/Battlefield%20Bad%20Company%202/INK1.jpg

[infelix]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions guys, it's appreciated. Now I have some good ideas on what to use.

[carlos marighela]

I agree, a Landrover or a Bedford would be most appropriate. That said good luck finding a decently scaled one. Most of the diecast Landrovers are 1/43 so tend to be somewhat on the larger side. TAG do a stripped down LWB Landrover that could probably have a cab and canvas tilt scratchbuilt without too much fuss. I bought a Burago(?) hardtop landrover a year or two back that scaled out at 1/47. I gave it to my four year old and it now has the look of an imported motor vehicle ill advisedly left unattended on a council estate.

The old Bedford RL series were still about in the eighties, in declining numbers. There are plenty of diecast versions out there in 1/60 ish. Finding a Bedford MK, the type in general service in the eighties might be a bit trickier.  There is a Corgi army version in 1/50 but it's ususally quite expensive and comes witha  toy field gun. If you want a cheaper item you may end up having to scratchbuild a cargo bed, using a tanker for the cab and chassis.

Apart from those I'd agree with the suggestion of a Saracen or a Pig for IS type duties. If you do want tracked vehicles the only option not discussed so far are the HLBS 1/48 range. They do the whole range of the FV100 range, including a Sultan and a Spartan.

Addendum: Here's a Bedford MK currently going for 20 quid on ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Corgi-Classic-Bedford-MK-High-Canvas-Back-25lb-Gun-Diecast-boxed-1-50-scale-/261121802889

[KarlUK]

S & S models have a nice Bedfored truck I picked one up for my brothers UNIT troops.

Karl

[anevilgiraffe]

S & S models have a nice Bedfored truck I picked one up for my brothers UNIT troops.

Karl

oooo... any pics?

[KarlUK]

Hi

These pictures are from the s&s photobucket page. I think there 1:60 scale.




it in there ww2 section

[carlos marighela]

They're in the WW2 section for a reason. Those are Bedford QLs dating to the 1940s. Not in use by the British army from about the mid 1950s. Still if you aren't anal about these things and a truck is just a truck they would do, I suppose.

[carrma]

I've gotten some S&S vehicles in the past and ended up not using them because they were a little small in comparison to my other vehicles. If you are using matchbox sized cars, their trucks would fit in nicely.