"1-Ton 109" Land-Rovers 1969-77"
Update 26-Dec-09 - New photos, links, and vehicles added.
This site is intended as an archive and database of the 1-Ton Series Land-Rovers, featuring technical info, and details of surviving vehicles. All content is the creation of, and the result of the hard work of D.Warden, 2006-2009.
If you have any info regarding a 1-Ton Landrover, please email info@onetonlandrover.co.uk
The 1-Ton 109" Land-Rover was unveiled in September 1968 at the Commercial Motor Show as an uprated version of the 109" Long Wheelbase Land-Rover. The vehicle was specified as having a 2.6 litre six cylinder petrol engine, and the gearbox from the IIB forward control. The axles were heavy-duty ENV units the same as used on the IIA FC (Not the 101FC as some sources claim - the 101 used Salisbury axle assemblies). Later series IIIs had front and rear Salisbury axles from about late 1972 (suffix B), and later still the front differential became the standard Rover unit (Suffix C). The chassis frame was a reinforced item, featuring drop shackle suspension pioneered on military vehicles. The 900x16 tyres on extra deep dish rims were carried over from the forward control. Longer brake pipes were fitted as well as a brake servo, front brakes being wider than standard with 3" shoes. The rear brakes were the same as a conventional 109". The overall aim was twofold - to make the Long Wheelbase Land Rover carry a greater payload, and also to provide a more suitable chassis for specialist conversions.
Although the first 1 ton was built in September 1968, production got underway properly in April 1969 when vehicle number two was built, and all these vehicles had the headlamps in the wings - my own vehicle suggests that early models also had deep sills. 1 Tons may have had the lamps in the wings before other models to make the lamp height comply with lighting laws, or just to signify them as a "new" model. When production changed to the series III in September 1971, 170 1-Tons series IIA had been built. Production continued into the Series III era, and the figure of 238 has been quoted as a production total for the Series IIIs.
The vehicle above is used in the first sales brochure, but I think it was a mule rather than proper 1-Ton, as it has standard spring mounts at the front as well as Rover axles. The first vehicle was also bronze green, where as the one above is shown in light green. It is very likely that only the bronze green number one vehicle had the headlamps in the grille panel.
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