Photo: Land Rover Centre
Six-wheeled military and commercial vehicles have been around for ages, but six-wheel passenger vehicles are relatively new. The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 single-handedly made six-wheel drive cool eight years ago when it launched, and since then, the aftermarket has caught notice.
We could talk all day about 6x6 trucks from Hennessey, but did you know that a relatively small British company offered 6x6 conversions of the Land Rover back in the 1980s? Townley Cross-Country Vehicles is the name of that company, and the pickup before your eyes is one of their creations.
Listed for sale by the Land Rover Centre in Huddersfield, the 1981 Land Rover 109 Series 3 Stage 1 V8 was registered for road use in May 1986. One-of-two Townley 6x6 conversions, the sport utility truck was first owned by a gentleman who used it for towing a concrete pump and carrying pipes.
The second owner acquired it sometime in 1995, sold it, then repurchased the SUT in 2005. From 2016 to 2018, the pickup underwent a restoration that saw almost everything rebuilt or replaced, including the bulkhead and rear wings. Now riding on a galvanized chassis, the Landy features 30 more inches of wheelbase over the standard 109 inches (76.2 and 276.8 centimeters).
Rated at 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds) in terms of payload capacity, the Townley 6x6 can be switched from 4x6 to 6x6 on the fly. This capable workhorse is rocking an OHV aluminum V8 with 3.5 liters of displacement, the venerable Rover V8 with 91 horsepower and 166 pound-feet (225 Nm).
Fed by twin Zenith-Stromberg carburetors and an electric fuel pump, the motor is connected to a four-speed manual transmission. A pair of transfer boxes, 3.54 gearing for all three axles, and servo-assisted drum brakes on all six corners also need to be mentioned, along with a ground clearance of 8.25 inches (20.95 centimeters). For reference, the all-new Defender with air suspension and a unibody chassis offers 11.5 inches (29.21 centimeters).
If you intend to make this six-wheeled blast from the past your own, prepare to pony up 39,995 pounds sterling or $55,340 at current exchange rates.
Listed for sale by the Land Rover Centre in Huddersfield, the 1981 Land Rover 109 Series 3 Stage 1 V8 was registered for road use in May 1986. One-of-two Townley 6x6 conversions, the sport utility truck was first owned by a gentleman who used it for towing a concrete pump and carrying pipes.
The second owner acquired it sometime in 1995, sold it, then repurchased the SUT in 2005. From 2016 to 2018, the pickup underwent a restoration that saw almost everything rebuilt or replaced, including the bulkhead and rear wings. Now riding on a galvanized chassis, the Landy features 30 more inches of wheelbase over the standard 109 inches (76.2 and 276.8 centimeters).
Rated at 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds) in terms of payload capacity, the Townley 6x6 can be switched from 4x6 to 6x6 on the fly. This capable workhorse is rocking an OHV aluminum V8 with 3.5 liters of displacement, the venerable Rover V8 with 91 horsepower and 166 pound-feet (225 Nm).
Fed by twin Zenith-Stromberg carburetors and an electric fuel pump, the motor is connected to a four-speed manual transmission. A pair of transfer boxes, 3.54 gearing for all three axles, and servo-assisted drum brakes on all six corners also need to be mentioned, along with a ground clearance of 8.25 inches (20.95 centimeters). For reference, the all-new Defender with air suspension and a unibody chassis offers 11.5 inches (29.21 centimeters).
If you intend to make this six-wheeled blast from the past your own, prepare to pony up 39,995 pounds sterling or $55,340 at current exchange rates.
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