Land Master
Encyclopedia
The Land Master is a civilian all-terrain utility vehicle produced in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a competitor to the Land Rover
. Many of its features were incorporated into the Land Rover Defender
introduced some years later.
It was tested by the British Army
and was actually used by the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
. Money was promised by the Ministry of Defence
but the deal fell through. Eventually, the rights to the Land Master were sold to a company called C.K. Farnworth of Crumlin, Caerphilly
, Wales
.
The prototype vehicles were made at Trelavour Road Garage, St Dennis, Cornwall
, and were based on Dodge
pickup truck
parts. The chassis was made of tubular steel so that when it went over bumps and steep angles, dirt on top of the chassis rails would fall off, unlike Land Rovers of the time.
Surviving vehicles are very rare, at least one Land Master is still on the road in use in Kent
, England
, and another is kept by the original builders at St. Dennis.
Engines available included a 3.8 L Perkins diesel
I4
rated at 82 bhp, a 4.0 L Perkins diesel
V6 rated at 101 bhp, or a 5.9 L Chrysler
petrol V8 rated at 170 bhp.
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
. Many of its features were incorporated into the Land Rover Defender
Land Rover (Series/Defender)
The Land Rover Defender is a British four wheel drive off-road utility vehicle developed from the original Land Rover Series launched in 1948.-Name and badge distinctions:...
introduced some years later.
It was tested by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and was actually used by the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Devon and Cornwall Police, formerly Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Devon and Cornwall in England and the unitary authorities of Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly....
. Money was promised by the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
but the deal fell through. Eventually, the rights to the Land Master were sold to a company called C.K. Farnworth of Crumlin, Caerphilly
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The prototype vehicles were made at Trelavour Road Garage, St Dennis, Cornwall
St Dennis, Cornwall
St Dennis is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the B3279 between Newquay and St Austell.St Dennis had a population of 2,696 in the 2001 census. A quarter of the male population is employed in the extraction of china clay.The village is famous for...
, and were based on Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
parts. The chassis was made of tubular steel so that when it went over bumps and steep angles, dirt on top of the chassis rails would fall off, unlike Land Rovers of the time.
Surviving vehicles are very rare, at least one Land Master is still on the road in use in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and another is kept by the original builders at St. Dennis.
Engines available included a 3.8 L Perkins diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
I4
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
rated at 82 bhp, a 4.0 L Perkins diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
V6 rated at 101 bhp, or a 5.9 L Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
petrol V8 rated at 170 bhp.