matching vehicle number plates to vehicle types?

[bootneck]

Is there a site that has a database of military vehicle registration numbers and the vehicles type?   I see quite a few vintage photos of vehicles, such as Land Rovers, and can see their registration; however, sometimes the photos angle doesn't confirm the actual version of vehicle. An example photo I have seen is an RAF Police vehicle in the Arabian Peninsular with registration 56 AA 60.  To me, it looks like a series 2 Land Rover but, for all I know, it could be a series 2A or even a series 1. 

A comprehensive listing of vehicle registrations and type would be a great help to me.

 

cheers,
Mike

[Kingsman]

I think the short answer is probably no in a comprehensive official sense.  Such information pops up from time to time, frequently called "Chilwell Lists" after the former Army - later MOD - registration office at Chilwell.  That establishment closed in the late 90's and all registration information (Equipment Registration Marks in MOD parlance) transferred onto an IT system based elsewhere.

 

Volume 1 of Dick Taylor's Warpaint series has a generic list of the post-1949 registration letter allocations but only at the level of "B vehicles" with no further sub-division.

 

The MAFVA document at this link has some information but is clearly not exhaustive as MOD owned hundreds of thousands of vehicles under the 1949 registration system.  https://www.mafva.org/nanopdf.com_vehicle-registration-numbers-vrn.pdf

 

The RLC Digital Archive looks like a good bet and is perhaps as good as you will get.  https://www.rlcarchive.org/Help/VehicleRsrch

 

Vehicle nomenclature in MOD probably did not include such things as Land Rover Series'.  Each new version would have had a new FV Number by which they were known.  Generally a Land Rover would have been called something like a Truck, Utilility, 3/4ton, Rover, FVxxxxxx.  UK military Land Rovers have always been different to civilian models but did generally follow the Series evolution.  So to match them to civilan Series you would need the Land Rover FV list, which I'm sure has been published somewhere.  I seem to remember an old book called The Fighting Rovers which covered the pre-Defender types.

[bootneck]

Thanks DA.  I was hoping to avoid posting loads of images, as I found them, asking "what series is this" etc.   I do try to be as independent as I can, and try not to put upon others if I can find the answers myself; however, many of the vehicles that get my interest tend to only show partial views in images.   This is the vehicle that I was initially asking about but there are loads of others that I am interested to do dioramas around.

 

cheers,
Mike

[malpaso]

According to a book I have “British Military Land Rovers” 56AA60 is an 86” Wheelbase somewhat equivalent to a Series 1 86” civilian model.  86” was a LandRover Mk3 in the services.   56AA6 is one of a batch of 150 out of 1046 Mark 3s contracted to the RAF.

[bootneck]

just to confirm, Mark 3 is not the same as Series 3?  If 56AA60 is a Mark 3, what types of Land Rovers were Mark 1's and 2's?   I am still learning here, about Land Rovers and other British softskins,  do you have any more info on your book please?  It sounds as if I need to get a copy.

 

Edit:  please ignore my first question, the differences are obvious; even to me. 

 

cheers,
Mike

[malpaso]

Mk 1 and 2 were 80” series 1 types

Marks ran up to Mk7 for Series 1 types, Series 2 onwards are called Rover 8, Rover 9 etc

 

This is the Landie book I have.   But there are several others that may cover the info you need.

 

Cheers

Will

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by malpaso
Book info added

[bootneck]

Thank you Will.   Can you advise me if that book contains any plans and profiles of the various chassis' and bodyworks, for people like me who scratchbuilds much of their stuff?   It certainly sounds like a 'must have' book and a definite if it has chassis plans.  I've searched the web for such plans but only seem to find oblique views, which aren't helpful for cutting plastic to size and shape.

I was sent a plan for a series 3 but that detail is already available in kits, like Italeri etc.   I would really like to do a series 1, plus a series 2 with full top details as the only one I have is the Tamiya SAS version.

 

All the best,
Mike

[malpaso]

Sorry Mike no plans in the book just lots of photos.

 

Apart from the obvious front end changes to grilles and lights, S2,S2A and S3 differences are mainly hidden as engine, drivetrain and “trim” - the main bodywork behind the bulkhead is similar, such that I believe a 1980 S3 hardtop can swap onto a 1959 S2 with minimal adjustments or fitting changes.  Certainly at 1/24 or 1/35 differences would be minimal.  So there’s no stopping you putting the Italeri hardtop on the Tamiya, in theory!

 

Military pattern LRs are different in details to Civilian ones but many parts are interchangeable.  So there are a number of lightweight or air-portable station wagons around!

[WYATT]

if you search on https://merlinarchive.uk/ you can put the military reg number in and should bring it up its what I used to chase some info on the vehicles I own

[bootneck]

Thanks Wyatt, I typed in 56AA60 and it showed a photo but no info on type etc.  I will have a go with other registrations later.

 

cheers,
Mike

[bootneck]

7 hours ago, malpaso said:

Sorry Mike no plans in the book just lots of photos.

 

Apart from the obvious front end changes to grilles and lights, S2,S2A and S3 differences are mainly hidden as engine, drivetrain and “trim” - the main bodywork behind the bulkhead is similar, such that I believe a 1980 S3 hardtop can swap onto a 1959 S2 with minimal adjustments or fitting changes.  Certainly at 1/24 or 1/35 differences would be minimal.  So there’s no stopping you putting the Italeri hardtop on the Tamiya, in theory!

Thank you Will, I shall order the book as it seems to be a Bible on Land Rovers.   I really like this learning phase, on new modelling projects, where a small snippet like yours means a whole lot to me.  I can have a go at cut and migrating grills and canopies and see what I end up with.

 

cheers, and thanks again.

 

Mike

[dambuster]

On 3/1/2022 at 8:25 PM, bootneck said:

Thank you Will.   Can you advise me if that book contains any plans and profiles of the various chassis' and bodyworks, for people like me who scratchbuilds much of their stuff?   It certainly sounds like a 'must have' book and a definite if it has chassis plans.  I've searched the web for such plans but only seem to find oblique views, which aren't helpful for cutting plastic to size and shape.

I was sent a plan for a series 3 but that detail is already available in kits, like Italeri etc.   I would really like to do a series 1, plus a series 2 with full top details as the only one I have is the Tamiya SAS version.

 

All the best,
Mike

Mike, Are you familiar with the Mick Bell plans series? There are several Land Rover variants, but I don’t know if any show chassis details.

 

Cheers 
 

Peter

[bootneck]

On 01/03/2022 at 19:58, malpaso said:

This is the Landie book I have.   But there are several others that may cover the info you need

Good morning Will, I sold some kits which allowed me to buy that book.  It is just what I was looking for, a combination of photos and database of serial numbers and types. 

Thank you for the recommendation.

Mike

 

1 hour ago, dambuster said:

Mike, Are you familiar with the Mick Bell plans series? There are several Land Rover variants, but I don’t know if any show chassis details.

Hello Peter,

 

Yes, it is those plans that started me off on this little venture to build Land Rover kits.

 

Cheers,
Mike