Land Rover Emergency Vehicles

Book excerpt: This book is both an historic and nostalgic look at the role of the Land Rover in the emergency services over the last 70 years. Land Rover products have been used by the emergency services almost from the moment the first Land Rover left the factory in 1948. Their agility and size made them an immediate hit with fire services, where they initially became popular as factory fire tenders. Their cross-country ability and versatility then attracted police forces, especially outside Britain, and when long-wheelbase models provided extra space, they also became favourites for ambulance conversions. Some emergency-service conversions required very little adaptation, and were carried out in the workshops of the end-users. Others – such as six-wheel Range Rover fire tenders – required major alterations from the factory-standard vehicle. Meanwhile, specialist companies developed dedicated ambulance and fire tender bodywork, creating a fascinating variety of different types. Some of these conversions, such as police patrol vehicles, went on to become part of the background to everyday life. Others are much less well known, and have their own special interest. All of them help to illustrate the versatility and adaptability of Land Rovers and their more modern SUV siblings. Land Rover Emergency Vehicles will interest Land Rover enthusiasts and emergency-vehicle enthusiasts alike, and many of the types illustrated will evoke nostalgic memories of these vehicles in their heyday.