1972 Alvis Light Reconnaissance Vehicle

Starting life in 1972, in Scorpion configuration, this hull was converted to Sabre spec in the early Nineties. The Sabre was a synthesis between a Fox armoured car turret – with its 30mm Rarden cannon – and a Scorpion hull. The result was a mixed bag, with use in the Balkan conflict highlighting some mild shortcomings. The Sabre’s 7.62mm GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) was found to be insufficient and slow to reload, so was replaced by the L94A1 chain gun. The smoke grenade launchers were also deemed insufficient and so were doubled up. Two of the three-man crews also complained of a lack of headroom so both gunner and commander were given domed hatches.

This Sabre, which retired from UK military service in 2004 with all the rest, has received the above modifications – yet retains the early Jaguar-XK-derived engine. This engine, known as the J60 in military spec, has also just been reconditioned, with a dated plaque to prove it. It might make a modest 190bhp, but it has a mountain of torque. This Sabre’s military service record shows that it was attached to the Parachute Squadron, RAC (Royal Armoured Corps). That means that, in its original Scorpion configuration, this vehicle will have seen active service in both Cyprus and Northern Ireland. It’s also highly likely that it was air dropped into other active conflicts in later Sabre configuration.

Its arid, semi-desert camouflage paint scheme might have worked wonders in the field, but it certainly makes it hard to miss back here in the UK. Even the most absent-minded of drivers is unlikely to mistake this eight-ton light armoured vehicle for anything else on the road. That’s right, this thing is 100 percent road legal, so if you’ve got a tracked vehicle licence in the UK you could even do the weekly shop with it, if you were so inclined. The relatively small size of the Sabre and its lively performance (for a tank) make it easy to manoeuvre on our narrow roads. It’s also more than capable of keeping up with the rest of traffic. Added driver reassurance comes from the fitment of ‘wing’ mirrors, indicators, headlights and an amber flasher up top. The enormous original 500-litre fuel tank remains fitted but a more convenient additional 70-litre marine tank has been added. This avoids wasting a vast sum of money on fuel that’ll likely go stale in between play times.

The tracks look to be in fine order, which is the main thing that tends to wear on these CVRTs, and indeed any tracked vehicle. The vendor informs us that they have been replaced very recently, their appearance certainly backing up his claim. They’re rated for just under 4000 miles or 6000kms before needing another overhaul. A few embellishments have been added to the hull of this Sabre, such as its ‘Bulldog’ nickname and a ‘Desert Rat’ insignia, but neither is either hard to remove or particularly offensive. The armaments have been removed, obviously, though a dummy 30mm Rarden has been added. The mount for the chain gun and the twin clusters of smoke grenade launchers remain. The latter was added during the Balkan conflicts in 1990s to improve the vehicle’s survivability – providing a smoke screen. This is a recon vehicle after all, not a main battle tank – so getting in, gathering information and getting out again were its crew’s primary concerns.

The confines of this armoured vehicle have never been considered roomy – its three-man crew was packed in pretty tight. Worth noting if you’re tall – though the vendor is 6ft in height and you can of course, pop the hatches and drive with your head out the top. While we’re certainly no experts in the equipment supplied by the British Army, it does appear that all the original gizmos, dials and switches that this Sabre came with in service remain fitted and functional. The driver (front left) gets a fairly comprehensive array of dials (speed in mph, revs, fuel) and a bank of switches to control everything from the engine start button and periscope wiper to the heater. That’s right, this CVRT is heated – war’s miserable enough without being freezing.

The gunner and commander are seated within the turret that also itself remains completely operational. You can traverse it 360 degrees with ease and spot ‘targets’ several fields away via the working gun sights. It’s all good fun and will surely raise the odd eye-brow from the next-door neighbours. Within the turret there’s also a build plaque and chassis plate. Useful for sure, but also fascinating, as it reveals that ‘field repairs’ took place in November 1995. Sadly, there’s no way to easily find out what occurred here without delving into regimental records. Speaking of which, the vendor has managed to dig up some of these, which will obviously accompany the vehicle when it goes to its new owner.

Rust isn’t really much of a concern as CVRTs sport 12.7mm aluminium-alloy armour (which doesn’t rust) but nevertheless, we couldn’t find any obvious signs of corrosion. There are the odd spots here and there on the inside as steel components but up against the alloy plate, but it’s very limited and seems to only be skin deep (gunner area on removable panels).

We don’t have any documentation to speak of but the vendor’s digging into the vehicle’s service record does provide some tantalising insights. He also lists the following as work carried out by the previous keeper in the past five years;

‘Crate recon engine fitted (see recon plate on engine – 300 miles only), brand new tracks fitted, fully serviced by one of the UK’s top experts in CVRTs. Service included; oils, filters cleaned, inspection of final drives, brakes, Clansman comms fitted (very clear and loud) new spark plugs, carburettor tweaked to peak performance.’ So, all in all, it seems ready to be enjoyed right away.

Who doesn’t want to have a drive in a tank? This author has had the privilege and it’s certainly an experience that stays with you. The vendor points out that he also has a tame engineer who is happy to accompany the vehicle anywhere in the world and show the new owner how everything works (for a separate arranged fee). This is one of the most road-friendly tracked vehicles out there and so makes an excellent introduction to the world of military vehicles. It’s also a relatively unusual configuration for a CVRT, making it stand out at a military gathering from all those Scorpions. This one’s been recently subjected to a lot of crucial remedial work that’s sure to take the financial sting out of owning what is, let’s be frank, a big boy’s toy. Even so, we think you’ll need between £49,000 - £59,000 to add this to your toy box.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular vehicle is located with the vendor in Cirencester, Gloucestershire; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.