Description Ex-Gwent Fire Brigade; only 21,500 miles indicated; fully kitted out with original fire-fighting equipment; current owner 29 years; runs and drives; a proper time capsule! Although Austin had enjoyed a modicum of success with the military spec Champ, it was complex and expensive to build so its commercial appeal was limited (especially as it did 8mpg on a good day), but the Army ordered plenty of them and it gave the company a great deal of experience with off-road vehicles.

Austin decided to take on Land Rover ‘head to head’ with something a bit more straightforward.

The ability to design from scratch lead to some innovative design features for the new vehicle which was named the ‘Gipsy’ (spelt with an ‘i’ and not a ‘y’).

The suspension was fully independent and used Alex Moulton-designed ‘Flexitor’ rubber springing coupled to trailing arms, a clever arrangement which required no lubrication and proved extremely effective on rough terrain.

The chassis was a simple ladd...