1968 Land Rover SERIES II

‘Alex’ is a 1968 series 2a Land Rover with the 109-inch chassis and the straight-six 2.6-litre petrol engine. He went straight from the Land Rover factory to R.J. Searle Ltd. in Sunbury on Thames to be fitted with a Carawagon interior and solid raising roof. The resulting vehicle looks very period and will sleep and cater for four people (two in the roof and two on the rear seats that fold down to make a double bed).

The current owner purchased in 1998 from an elderly gentleman on the Isle of Wight who carried out a lot of work on the car to make it fit for expedition travel. So the original petrol tank has been replaced with a long-range military version, the electrical system was upgraded and an LPG system (untested) fitted.

The seller used it for a few years as a second vehicle and self-contained holiday camper but was forced to lay it up in 2005 due a change in job that meant he needed a more sensible car. (Although we struggle to think of any car that is more sensible than a Land Rover with a bed in it, even our enthusiasm allows us to acknowledge that this is not, perhaps, an ideal car in which to commute…)

If you subscribe to the theory that old Land Rovers look best when they’re battled scarred and well patinated then you’ll agree that Alex is an absolute beauty!

The bulkhead and rear chassis has been the subject of some work previously but no enthusiast would approach this car with anything other than a full restoration in mind. He or she might strike lucky and get away with only mild fettling but a chassis-up refurbishment would probably be the most cost-effective (and fun!) way to get Alex back on the road.

The front door tops have started to rot, and the bulkhead is starting to rust at the bottom. The bonnet-mounted spare wheel is to hand. Having said that, there is no evidence that Alex has ever been seriously off-roaded, so he has avoided the sort of conditions that have led to the early death of so many Land Rovers.

Alex has three front seats with no bulkhead behind them, so access to the rear very easy. A bench seat runs the length of the car, with an open locker beneath them that provides useful storage space and holds the second battery. The other side houses a full-length cupboard with a full-height wardrobe, a cupboard with shelves and another that holds a five-gallon water container with a hand-pump. The Carawagon conversion is all there but it needs overhauling.

Some of the wood in the folding roof has rotted and will need replacing. However, give the modular nature of the car this could be replaced with a standard 109-inch roof to enable the owner to repair and refurbish the Carawagon one in the comfort of the garage.

The car was fault-free when it was first parked up but the buyer will need a trailer, a large can of WD40 and some patience because the car has been standing now for ten years. 

The engine hasn’t been converted to run on lead-free petrol but can be run with the use of an additive. That’s the bad news; the good news is that the straight six is utterly bulletproof and reasonably economical (25mpg on a run and 15mpg in town) thanks to the aftermarket Stromberg carb.

Other good news is that Alex also has an overdrive and freewheeling hubs fitted.

There are some fascinating notes on Alex’s history plus some photographs and old invoices but given his low-mileage (which is believed to be genuine) it would appear that he has led a sheltered life so far.

This is something that his new owner should set about changing; it would be nice to let Alex spread his wings and see a bit more of the world to celebrate his forthcoming half-century.

Just 2,500 or so Land Rovers benefitted from the Searle Carawagon conversion and given that many of these were used as tactical command posts by the Army, with the majority of the rest being used for expeditions worldwide, you’ll appreciate that the attrition rate was quite high. This makes Alex a rare and valuable piece of Land Rover history.

Of course there are more refined ways to travel but there are not that are more civilised - and when your modern cars are stranded thanks to waterlogged ECUs or dust-fired electrical circuits, Alex will be happily strolling happily along like he has been for the past five decades. If, God forbid, he ever does break down you will be able to repair him with a hammer and a sense of adventure rather than a laptop and an Internet connection.

Alex comes with a low reserve (3 figures) because the owner would rather it be sold to an enthusiast that wants to get him back on the road as an all-purpose adventure vehicle. We can see Alex doing sterling service for another fifty years as a stylish and tough alternative to the (now rather common…) VW Camper. Imagine him, resplendent in fresh paintwork, sitting on a Cornish beach with surfboards strapped to his roof, a driftwood fire crackling by his side, and a family sitting alongside him creating lifelong memories together. 

Of course, the new owner can do with him what they will, but it would be a tragedy and an insult for him to see his days out as a stripped-down greenlaner…

There are some great videos and photos below that really do give a good sense of the current state of Alex. Watch and if you have any questions then feel to contact the owner and go and take a look at Alex in Nuneaton, or free to ask in the comments section on the right.