1974 Land Rover Series 2B Forward Control

This Forward Control is claimed to be the second-to-last one ever built. Not only that, but it was originally supplied to the Post Office telephone service. That’s why it has been finished in its fetching shade of blue; rather than the much more common grey that the majority of Forward Controls received.

After leaving the line at Solihull on the 11th April 1972, it was delivered to the GPO’s Yeading Depot in west London. Here it received a raised platform to its chassis in 1974 and went on to see service in the south east of England for the rest of its working life – that came to an end in 1985. The vendor states that the vehicle has been the subject of a complete chassis-off restoration and repaint and that its 60,237 miles are genuine.

We don’t envy whoever had to paint this one – it must have been a long day for someone. There’s certainly a huge surface area to coat but whoever they were, they did a fine job. The finish is largely even throughout and shines up nicely. There’s some mild orange peel to the engine cover in the bed, and a run under the passenger door hinge but that’s about it for defects. This Forward Control lives in the vendor’s purpose-built storage unit and hasn’t come out much this year (due to the pandemic) so it’s a little dusty here and there. Though after a quick wipe, it’s clear that it’ll come up beautifully.

There’s an awful lot of exposed metal in the form of brackets, hinges and mounts but all appear to be in excellent (and working) condition. There’s a lovely bit of surface patina to correctly age the vehicle that’s often missing from over-restored examples. It would have been all-too easy to remove the surface rust and weathering from the load bed and its supports for example, but we’re delighted that someone didn’t. Everything appears to be in very solid condition yet the surfaces (apart from those that have been painted) show their age. It’s really hard to get this mix right, especially for a former working vehicle, but this Forward Control nails it. The metal on the hinges for the engine cover in the load bay for example, still exhibit a polished effect from the many hands that have opened and closed them over the years.

Clambering into the cabin is a bit of an adventure in itself but once you’re up there, its standard Land Rover; no-nonsense and workmanlike. Like any other working vehicle of the era the cabin is mostly exposed metal that rattles away merrily with the engine running. Though that six-cylinder is pretty smooth for its age. The seats in this example have seen better days. The vinyl on the passenger’s base is held together with electrical tape (which also adorns the steering wheel) and the same tape has come off the back of the driver’s seat revealing the foam. There isn’t anything else in here that’s soft.

The door rubbers appear to have been replaced recently and someone has fitted a pair of seatbelts. There’s a heater in the cab made by Smiths that appears to operate correctly and the usual Land Rover mechanical fresh-air vents, but that’s all she wrote. What little electrical equipment there is also appears to work as it should. We did manage to drive this beauty around a little and have to say it proved to be hugely enjoyable, though as you’d expect, the steering wheel is enormous and the turning circle is similar to that of a Norwegian Ice-breaker.

It seems that this chassis is the original supplied by Land Rover back in 1972 as it has been patched a few times over the years. It appears that, during the last round of restoration, the welder made sure everything was uniform and strong before putting it all back together. The welds look very robust and neat with the minimum of finishing prior to painting indicating a skilful torch wielder. With a vehicle that has a history as easily traced as this Forward Control, it certainly would have been a shame to transplant a new chassis in.

As with anything old, mechanical and British, this Forward Control does have a very slight fluid leak. A tiny weep of oil seems to be coming from the transmission transfer case. The usual suspects – the engine oil sump and rear differential – are bone dry. The former also shows a recently replaced copper washer backing up the history of oil changes. The rubber bushes on the transmission mounts look old but intact and there’s a small patch of evidence indicating an oil leak on the underside of the carburettor. Overall, this Forward Control appears to have been very well maintained.

Sadly, the vendor misplaced much of the history file before our visit so we couldn’t confirm a lot of the information he provided; though we have no reason to doubt it. However, there was a limited number of invoices present indicating recent maintenance. The last service took place in June 2019 and included an engine oil and filter change. It also included a transmission and differential level check (all ok) and some new brake shoes all round. There’s a larger invoice amount of nearly £700 from 2016 for swapping over the rear leaf springs and topping up the underseal. Additional charges for another service and an adjustment of the steering can be found from the same time.

Unfortunately, that was it, other than a photocopy of a letter from Land Rover confirming the identity of this Forward Control and its history with the Post Office. Hopefully the rest of the invoice file turns up before the auction ends (we’ll update this listing if it does).

There weren’t many Forward Controls made and the early ones suffered from being underpowered. This late six-cylinder example cures that and its condition and displayed mileage makes it more tempting still. The load capacity, period charm and folding sides would make this an excellent mobile stall at an autojumble, antiques fair or even an occasional working vehicle at a preserved airfield, dock or railway. 

Whatever your intended use, we know these have a strong  following in many circles. They are popular  from Land Rover geeks to farmers, military specialists to serious off-road enthusiasts. So while we can't predict who will buy it, we can estimate it will sell for between £11,500 - £16,500.

Not as mad as it sounds perhaps, as its current owner has used it in the past to transport parts of an old signal box. He used this Forward Control to take the dismantled parts of the box across a field to its new home at a preserved railway. Alternatively, it makes an unusual and useable addition to any country estate. Or perhaps it can just enjoy its retirement at the odd classic car show; it’s certainly earned the rest…

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

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.