Former Civil Defence Field Cable Vehicle - Subject of a comprehensive restoration Inspired by the US Army's wartime 'Jeep', developed in haste and intended for short-term, small-scale production, the Land Rover would defy its creators' initial scepticism.

Rover bosses the Wilks brothers saw the need for a tough, four-wheel-drive, utility vehicle to serve the needs of the agricultural community in the immediate post-war years, but the Land Rover's runaway success following its introduction in 1948 took the company by surprise.

The necessity of using corrosion resistant aluminium panels at a time of severe steel shortage turned into a positive virtue in the Land Rover's sphere of operations, and the use of existing components - including the P3 saloon's 1,595cc, four-cylinder, inlet-over-exhaust engine - kept production costs down and cut development time.

There was permanent four-wheel drive with a lockable freewheel for the front axle, a Rover four-speed gearbox, and a two-speed tra...