Miguel Sánchez
Find for sale any of the many Land Rover Santana prepared for the Army may not be something remarkable. In fact, just as happened with the Nissan Patrol of the Civil Guard, hundreds of those units went to the second-hand market thanks to a multitude of auctions where they could be acquired at more than reasonable prices.
However, finding an example not only well restored but also allusive to the first installments of the series with six cylinder It's already starting to become much more concrete.
Also, in the case of the present example - available in the catalogue of Classic Cars 50 to 80– we came across a case where military training has been respected intact, even going so far as to display the shield of the unit to which it belonged: the 22nd Signal Regiment.
In short: this is a perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to add a historic classic to their garage. One of those that will take you head-on and right to specialized military vehicle events such as the one in Guixaró; at the time one of the most interesting events among all those organized by the active Historical Club from Casserres.
LAND-ROVER SANTANA 109-6 CYLINDER, A LONG CHASSIS
Trace the genealogy The Land-Rover Santana model is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it is presented as something really simple due to the scarcity and durability of its series, but on the other hand, these overlap in transitions of up to five years where each unit can be equipped with a variable number of elements from the old or the new.
In addition, we must add a range of bodies even greater than that executed on the Viasa SVs, to which we must also add everything related to the numerous orders placed by the Army until the adoption of the N Motor Ibérica in 1983 and the subsequent fall from grace of Santana just four years later.
A saga in itself - that of the military Land-Rover Santana - capable of creating a specific name in the nomenclature of the Jaén factory: Special Series M. That said, the truth is that in the case of our main unit, identification comes first by code 109.
Relatively common since the first Land-Rover Santanas assembled back in 1958, this designates vehicles with a XNUMX chassis. long battle while number 88 was for the short-frame models and number 119 was for the few Special units with such a significant wheelbase that they were only available upon prior order from the factory itself.
ONE OF THE FIRST SIX CYLINDERS
On the other hand, the plate with the name 6 CIL located on the rear gives us to understand how this unit is one of the first with a six-cylinder engine, as the technical sheet places its assembly in 1976.
Year during which Santana launched this range without counterpart in the United Kingdom, well known in rural areas of Spain thanks to the variants Cazorla, Super and Super Turbo relating entirely to the eighties.
That said, the present military Land-Rover Santana 109-6 CIL is equipped with a six-cylinder 3.429 cc engine to produce 94 hp - although it is indicated 96 CV We prefer to follow the orthodoxy inherent in period materials - with only about 58.000 kilometres on the odometer. Undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for those wishing to delve deeper into the field of military vehicles.
Images: Classic Cars 50 to 80
