Car & Classic Dealer

John Brown 4x4 Ltd

Thirsk, York

1945 Leyland Hippo MKII RESERVED SOLD

For sale, through JOHN BROWN 4X4 LTD, Leyland Hippo MKII in Military Green (1945).

MOT Exempt. Tax Exempt. Leyland 6cyl Diesel (100bhp). 1 former keeper. 6×4. Less than 1000 made.

We are delighted to present for sale this Leyland Hippo MKII, which we recently procured from a military collector. These vehicles are exceptionally rare, with only 1000 made – all of which were in service on VE Day 1945.

The Leyland Hippo was designed prior to D Day – the military needed a vehicle with a large carrying capacity to transport gear (and troops!) between the front line and other offensive positions on the allied front. Indeed, this vehicle has a payload capacity of 11. 6 tonnes….. so would make light work of any house move/ trip to the skip/ christmas tree!

Externally, the vehicle is in good order – there are some age-related dents and dinks, but nothing serious. The majority of the woodwork down the sides is in good order, but some of this could benefit from renewal with a woodworker.

The interior is standard – there are two seats and a five speed gearbox. The vehicle started first time off of the low-loader which it came from, and runs and drives as it should – the brakes are strong too.

The Hippo has not suffered with corrosion like other vehicles of its time, due to the high-ground clearance and restricted service life – these vehicles ended active service in the early 60s, and this vehicle has only been dry-stored since in the previous keepers hands – he remarked to us he’d had it in excess of two decades! The previous owner only parted with it as he no longer had the strength required to drive it – he recalls he used to drive it many miles in one sitting when going to shows all over England – and even said he was confident it would drive all the way home to North Yorkshire! With a top speed of 30mph, we elected to have it delivered. As we’ve not seen another one of these due to their limited build numbers, it is difficult to describe its condition in relation to others, but it runs and drives as it should.

A vehicle such as this would be ideal for a WWII collector… it is certainly a rare vehicle from the period…. for use at military shows (which the previous owner used them for!) or for any serious ‘lugging task’ due to the colossal payload rating – the previous keeper once used it to move house in one go!

RESERVED

Visit our website for comprehensive photos and a varied stock list of Series 1s, 2s and 3s. We Export Worldwide. John Brown 4x4 are the Market Leaders in Vintage Land Rover® Sales.

This advert has now been removed through sale or otherwise.
Please see the list below for similar live adverts.