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1952 Austin Champ

Current Registration: 1952 Austin Champ Previous Registration: CQU 553 (VIC) Engine: Four cylinder, water cooled-2838cc capacity, B Series Rolls-Royce Engine. This example light coloured blue, for United Nations Forces use in Europe. Electrics: Twenty-four volt - Two x twelve-volt batteries mounted in cabin floor under seat, to power radio equipment. Fuel System: Rear petrol tank of 20 gallons capacity. Transmission: Five speeds forward, five reverse, all synchro. No need for low- range as first gear is very low. Four-wheel drive, with seperate in-cabin lever to engage front hubs. Road Wheels: 16inch x 5.5 inch split rim (bolted together) steel wheels with tubed 700x16 tyres, needing 32psi. Torsion bar independent suspension all round; Girling hydraulic drum brakes, not mechanically assisted. Body: Recognising the value of the American Jeep, the British Army tendered for its own all-terrain light vehicle in the immediate post-war period and the talented Alec Issigonis, who fathered both the Morris Minor and Mini, was responsible for the successful design. Austin were awarded the contract to build by the UK Ministry of Defence. Specifications included the ability to run under 6 feet of water! Hence the crew caps and entirely sealed electrical and mechanical systems - see the water drain holes in cabin floor! Machine-gun mounting hole is in front of the fold-down windscreen. Rifle-carrier brackets are fitted in Cabin. Spools on hubs provide for running across ravines on cables! As Rolls-Royce could not complete all the Champ engine orders quickly enough, Austin were licensed to produce the last 12,000 of these. Most Champs used for personnel, though this order batch were "Cargo 1/4 ton Units". Used on conflicts in Suez, Cyprus and Africa. Manufacturer: The Austin Motor Co. Ltd, Cofton Hackett, near Birmingham, England - fully assembled in UK, with engine made under license from Rolls- Royce. Production: 1951 to 1954, with 15,870 units made, including the first 3,870 with Rolls-Royce made engines. Last Previous Owner: Paul Micallef of Sunbury, Victoria. Acquired: August 2019 by Present Custodian Frank Carroll of Coolum Beach.

1952 Austin Champ

Current Registration: 1952 Austin Champ Previous Registration: CQU 553 (VIC) Engine: Four cylinder, water cooled-2838cc capacity, B Series Rolls-Royce Engine. This example light coloured blue, for United Nations Forces use in Europe. Electrics: Twenty-four volt - Two x twelve-volt batteries mounted in cabin floor under seat, to power radio equipment. Fuel System: Rear petrol tank of 20 gallons capacity. Transmission: Five speeds forward, five reverse, all synchro. No need for low-range as first gear is very low. Four-wheel drive, with seperate in- cabin lever to engage front hubs. Road Wheels: 16inch x 5.5 inch split rim (bolted together) steel wheels with tubed 700x16 tyres, needing 32psi. Torsion bar independent suspension all round; Girling hydraulic drum brakes, not mechanically assisted. Body: Recognising the value of the American Jeep, the British Army tendered for its own all-terrain light vehicle in the immediate post-war period and the talented Alec Issigonis, who fathered both the Morris Minor and Mini, was responsible for the successful design. Austin were awarded the contract to build by the UK Ministry of Defence. Specifications included the ability to run under 6 feet of water! Hence the crew caps and entirely sealed electrical and mechanical systems - see the water drain holes in cabin floor! Machine-gun mounting hole is in front of the fold-down windscreen. Rifle-carrier brackets are fitted in Cabin. Spools on hubs provide for running across ravines on cables! As Rolls-Royce could not complete all the Champ engine orders quickly enough, Austin were licensed to produce the last 12,000 of these. Most Champs used for personnel, though this order batch were "Cargo 1/4 ton Units". Used on conflicts in Suez, Cyprus and Africa. Manufacturer: The Austin Motor Co. Ltd, Cofton Hackett, near Birmingham, England - fully assembled in UK, with engine made under license from Rolls-Royce. Production: 1951 to 1954, with 15,870 units made, including the first 3,870 with Rolls-Royce made engines. Last Previous Owner: Paul Micallef of Sunbury, Victoria. Acquired: August 2019 by Present Custodian Frank Carroll of Coolum Beach.