Thousand spent by the current owner over the past two years
THE APPEAL
The ‘Snatch’ Land Rover, or Lightly Armed Wheeled Vehicle to give it its MOD official title, was introduced in 1992 and initially went into service in Northern Ireland, but when war broke out in Afghanistan a lot of the LAWVs were redeployed to the region.
They’re protected with heavy duty bodywork and bulletproof interiors, as well as several other MOD mods that are unique to the model.
This one was in military service from 1993 until 2003 and was decommissioned and sold via an MOD auction. The current owner acquired it three years ago initially as his daily transport as he’s a Land Rover nut, but has more recently used it infrequently and for shows.
He now needs a pick-up truck for work so the Snatch is reluctantly up for sale.IMG_9206.JPG6.16 MB
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
Original MOD service manual
Driver log from British Army
UK V5C
Old MOTs
Invoices for recent work including new starter motor
The following has been done since the owner purchased the vehicle:
09/07/2015 - Cross Street Garage - MOT - £40 09/07/2015 - Cross Street Garage - Brake Shoe Set, Cylinder Left Hand, Cylinder Right Hand - £360 26/11/2018 - PRS Autos - Remove & Clean Carbs - £122 26/11/2018 - PRS Autos - Tune Up & Test - 04/09/2020 - GT Autos - Fuel Filter 02/11/2020 - GT Autos - NGK Spark Plugs 11/11/2020 - GT Autos - Water Pump - £56 11/11/2020 - GT Autos - Driver Belt GT Autos - Prop Shaft 04/05/2021 - GT Autos - Oil Filter (Service) 04/05/2021 - GT Autos - Oil Change (Service) 04/05/2021 - GT Autos - Gear Oil (Diff) (Service) 12/05/2021 - RGB - Distributer 12/05/2021 - RGB – Antifreeze 12/05/2021 - RGB - Power Steering Box 12/05/2021 - RGB - Petrol Tank 12/05/2021 - RGB - Petrol Pump 12/05/2021 - RGB - Front Bushes & Belt 12/05/2021 - RGB - Plugs 12/05/2021 - RGB - Front Cover 12/05/2021 - RGB - Alternator 12/05/2021 - RGB - Alternator Belt 12/05/2021 - RGB - MOT 12/05/2021 - RGB - Rear Bushes 12/05/2021 - RGB - Labour
The owner sent a freedom of information request to the MOD to track the history of his truck and received back a log of all the military personnel who signed it out, with the dates on which they used it.
He has also acquired a genuine MOD service manual with details of all authorised repair procedures – being a military model it’s deliberately designed to be easy to maintain on the battlefield, so there are no complex electronics like on civilian models.
The Snatch also comes with several receipts for service items as well as a repair bill for a new alternator and petrol tank.
Also included in the sale are a selection of spares, the original front seats and some additional camouflage and body protection, along with the air filter housing.IMG_9161.JPG4.58 MB
THE INTERIOR
Eight-seater
Front seats from Land Rover Discovery
Air conditioning
Radio switches
The original seats are included in the sale but the vendor has made the Defender more comfortable with the addition of a pair of front seats from a 1990s Discovery – they’re undoubtedly a vast improvement on the bench-like originals.
In the rear, there are six personnel seats and an opening hatch for observation and territorial engagement work. There’s also a gun rack above the dashboard. No gun, though…
It also has an overhead air conditioning unit. The windows don’t open for obvious reasons, so this was essential for desert use. IMG_9237.JPG3.54 MB
THE EXTERIOR
Desert Camouflage
Various war wounds
Armoured body
Steel grilles over windows and fold-up windscreen shield
Finished in hand-painted desert sand camouflage with netting over the main body, the Snatch looks like a full-on MOD service vehicle.
It’s in solid order, with various dents and marks and scuffs, each of which invariably has a tale to tell.
It sits higher than a standard Defender on steel military wheels, while at the rear it features barn-style doors for easy egress. It’s a purposeful and very cool looking thing. IMG_9120.JPG4.39 MB
THE MECHANICS
3.5 V8
Twin SU carbs
New starter motor and alternator
Military spec diffs and transmission
Snatch Land Rovers came in both petrol and diesel forms, with those posted to Arabian countries using the venerable Rover V8 in a military state of tune.
It sounds fantastic, but it’s no sports machine thanks to the extra weight of that armoured body and the fact that the carbs have been set up to run on low-grade petrol.
We were able to conduct a short test drive and can confirm that it drives well, with good steering and brakes and a surprisingly slick gearbox.IMG_9249.JPG6.48 MB
SUMMARY
This is more than a truck – it’s a piece of British Military history and aside from the seats it’s as it left service, while the MOD driver log book adds an extra dimension to its historical appeal.
It’s also the more desirable V8 model and is in sound condition, ready to take to Land Rover or Military Vehicle shows or use as is – a rather different but extremely cool thing to drive around in.
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