Rover Light Armoured Car
Encyclopedia
The Light Armoured Car (Aust), also known as Rover, was an armoured car produced in Australia
during the Second World War.
for armored fighting vehicles. It led many Commonwealth countries to develop their own AFVs.
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The Rover was designed in 1941. It utilized Ford 3-ton CMP truck
chassis, either F60L or shorter F60S. The armoured bodies were produced by Ruskin Motor Bodies Pty Ltd of Melbourne
. The production was stopped in 1943, a total of 238 cars were built.
The Rover entered service with the Australian army in April 1942. It never saw combat and was used mostly for crew training. A long narrow opening at the top of the hull earned the vehicle a nickname mobile slit trench. Late in 1943 Australia started to receive US-made armoured cars and the Rover was soon declared obsolete.
There are two restored Rover Mk II cars on display in Australian museums, at the National Military Vehicle Museum in Port Adelaide
and at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum at Puckapunyal, Victoria.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
during the Second World War.
History and description
At the outbreak of World War II the United Kingdom was unable to meet the needs of the CommonwealthCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
for armored fighting vehicles. It led many Commonwealth countries to develop their own AFVs.
Canadian Military Pattern truck
The Canadian Military Pattern truck was a class of military truck made in large numbers in Canada during World War II to British Army specifications for use in the armies of the British Commonwealth allies. CMP trucks were also sent to the Soviet Union following the Nazi invasion of Russia, as...
chassis, either F60L or shorter F60S. The armoured bodies were produced by Ruskin Motor Bodies Pty Ltd of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The production was stopped in 1943, a total of 238 cars were built.
The Rover entered service with the Australian army in April 1942. It never saw combat and was used mostly for crew training. A long narrow opening at the top of the hull earned the vehicle a nickname mobile slit trench. Late in 1943 Australia started to receive US-made armoured cars and the Rover was soon declared obsolete.
There are two restored Rover Mk II cars on display in Australian museums, at the National Military Vehicle Museum in Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and is the main port for the city of Adelaide...
and at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum at Puckapunyal, Victoria.