Topic: Puzzle #129 - Solved! Austin Gipsy Series IV

[Otto Puzzell]

Know what it is?

Please, respond below and let us know what vehicle you think you see here.

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Thanks!

[billtorrance9999]

Long wheelbase Austin Champ?  Weird Landy rival with OISE Rolls-Royce engine and rubber suspension

[Otto Puzzell]

Not a Champ.

[Allan L]

Long wheelbase Austin Champ?  Weird Landy rival with OISE Rolls-Royce engine and rubber suspension

Parts of this description are accurate!

[Otto Puzzell]

Hey! I dole out the clues around here! 

[D-type]

Austin Gypsy Estate

I once broke one of these.  It had a blown gasket and started it blowing water out the exhaust and overflow etc until it siezed..

[Otto Puzzell]

Austin Gipsy (not Gypsy) Series IV Estate, to be exact!

And with that, I have the honor of welcoming you to the ranks of Expert AutoPuzzlers.  

The Austin Gipsy was a rival to the Land-Rover four wheel drive in the late 1950s and the 1960s. It was more sophisticated than the Land-Rover in the suspension department in particular. The Gipsy's suspension was independent all round by trailing arms with `Flexitor' rubber springs: the rubber was contained in a large diameter tube attached to the chassis and was tortured as the trailing arms moved; some trailers and caravans use a similar system today. You can see the front tube and the driver's side front trailing arm just behind the bumper bar in the picture of the fire engine. The differentials were chassis mounted. Power was by the 2.2L ohv Austin A70 engine, tuned for torque.

Most Gipsies were made as soft-tops. They came in both long (111") and short (90") wheel-base forms.

Independent suspension leads to less ground clearance when heavily laden and had an image of lacking ruggedness - at that date. Later models of the Austin Gipsy had live axles in response. They also used the 2.9L A90 engine.

The greatest weakness of the Austin Gipsy, as compared to a Land-Rover, was its steel bodywork which soon gained a reputation for rust (this was something that Land-Rover was keen to point out). For this reason good examples are rare and a nice one might make a good restoration prospect for someone in search of an unusual four wheel drive.

[D-type]

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And with that, I have the honor of welcoming you to the ranks of Expert AutoPuzzlers. 
 ~

Thanks - time for a new ID then