1952 Land Rover Series 1

This one-off Minerva 80 T. T. is a rare version produced under licence in Belgium in 1952. The body is made of welded steel and features distinctive aesthetic modifications such as sloping mudguards and shaped rear access. The engine is a 2. 0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with 52 bhp, mated to a 4-speed gearbox and 4x4 drive system that can be engaged, like its sister Land Rover. This vehicle has been meticulously restored by the Land Rover Team, an expert and internationally renowned expert in the restoration and maintenance of historic British vehicles. The vehicle is in excellent condition and is ready to be displayed at events and rallies.

It is available for viewing and purchase in Giussano (MB), Italy, by appointment. A rare opportunity for collectors and classic car enthusiasts!Land Rover 80" Minerva Almost identical twin of the iconic Land Rover 80" Series 1, in a version for the Belgian Army, the first Land built under licence outside the British borders. After World War II, in 1948, Rover & Co. Ltd presented its Land Rover, the '80-inch', at the Amsterdam Motor Show in the Netherlands, the progenitor of a long and vigorous lineage of unstoppable 4×4s. Presto detto. From the moment it appeared, the Land 80 'Series 1' was an incredible success and became the most sought-after 4x4 by police forces, armies and many professional users, not only in Europe, so much so that the parent company was unable to satisfy all requests. Under these circumstances, the need arose to license production outside the English borders. This prospect tickled several European manufacturers, with Societé Nouvelle Minerva S. A. at the forefront, the heir to Anonyme Minerva Motors, a Belgian car manufacturer based in Antwerp, founded in 1904 by Sylvain de Jong and specialised in the production of luxury cars. A production so prestigious that in the "twenties" it even managed to produce a luxury "six cylinder" capable of competing in performance, luxury and reliability with the English Rolls Royce. And it was perhaps also because of this high quality that Rover chose Minerva as a partner for the first experiment in producing a Land Rover outside its borders. The agreement, drawn up at the end of 1951, became operational at the beginning of 1952 with the first Minerva cars, destined for the Belgian army, leaving the Antwerp plants. The numbers envisaged were, for those times, decidedly substantial as the programme envisaged the production, in five years, of around 10, 000 Minerva 80 T. T.'s (the acronym stands for Tout Terrain). The agreement between the two companies envisaged that Minerva would make its own (based on the original Land template) both the chassis and the bodywork, which, however, was not in aluminium, like the original, but made of welded steel plates. For reasons of ease of production and steel workmanship (and perhaps also to stand out) the Minerva also undergoes some aesthetic and functional characterisation, such as the front with its characteristic sloping mudguards and the rear access, which does not have a folding tailgate, but only a shaped cut in the bodywork. In addition, the lines are a little more angular and even the radiator grille is dedicated. For its part, Rover supplies a complete kit for everything from the engine, mechanics, transmission, gearbox and so on. The engine is the original 2. 0-litre (1, 997 cc) with 52 hp and around 136 Nm of torque. It is an in-line 4-cylinder petrol, with a crankshaft on three supports), valves controlled by rods and rockers, with the exhaust valves 'on the side'. Fuel is fed by a Solex inverted carburettor. The transmission makes use of an insertable 4×4, which is activated by pressing the lever (with yellow knob), located to the side of the tunnel. Shifting from normal to reduced ratios and vice versa is controlled (when the vehicle is stationary) by the other lever (with red knob). Another peculiarity of the system is that when travelling in 4×4 with the reduced gears, switching to normal ratios automatically disengages the front-wheel drive as well. Lastly, the gearbox: a four-speed (with synchronised third and fourth), with a long, contoured lever and with reverse gear positioned in the top left-hand corner alongside first gear (a functional position for when you need to carry out special, quick emergency 'forward/ reverse' manoeuvres). Also by Land Rover are the rigid axles, leaf springs, suspension layout, steering system, four-drum braking system plus a fifth drum, on the rear drive shaft, for the parking handbrake. The Rover/ Minerva agreement continued until 1956 and while the British manufacturer introduced the "86-inch" (which Minerva produced in a few examples, almost all for civilian use) a series of misunderstandings between the companies put an end to the agreement. Of the approximately 8. 000 Minerva 80s" built, many were later scrapped, having been alienated by the army and the various military corps, and around a hundred still remain on the road. The Minerva illustrated is an example used by the Belgian army, as evidenced by the symbol on the front mudguard. It was then purchased and meticulously restored by the Land Rover Team, an independent company specialising in the restoration and maintenance of Land and Range Rovers, which used it for exhibitions and rallies. The vehicle can be viewed and collected in Giussano (MB) Italy, by appointment.