Out Of The Barn & Into The Sun – 12 Series Land Rovers Revealed | Season 5 – Episode 67
Wheels Aug 22, 2025
The Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport team recently uncovered and documented for the owner a unique collection of 12 Series Land Rovers, ranging in age from 1951 to 1982.
The collection included nine Series Land Rovers imported from New Zealand and one from Australia. Around twenty years ago, these vehicles were sourced through newspaper small ads before being shipped to Ireland.
We also uncovered two ultra-rare 1956 Fire Tenders, Dublin-assembled as CKD (Complete Knocked Down) units by Brittains Group on the Naas Road, as well as a 1938 chariot-style Beresford-Stork pump trailer, all of which once served with the County Laois Fire Service.
SERIES LAND ROVERS
Born from post-war necessity, the Land Rover Series I emerged as a rugged answer to both agricultural and military demands. Inspired by the Willys Jeep, it combined a lightweight aluminium body, a sturdy chassis and a capable four-wheel-drive system to create a vehicle as practical as it was tough. Over time, the Series I, II, and III evolved into icons, celebrated for their simplicity, durability and off-road prowess, and cherished by enthusiasts for their no-nonsense, utilitarian design.
VARIED COLLECTION
This collection represents a fascinating mix of factory-built and CKD-assembled 80, 88, 107, and 109-inch Station Wagons and Pickups. We thoroughly enjoyed uncovering the build and ownership histories of each vehicle in the collection. While there isn’t space here to explore every story in depth, our research revealed that several stand out for their particularly fascinating backgrounds, including the following:
(1) 1951 Land Rover Series I 80 – Inch Basic. This author had never come across this type of early Series I before and I was bowled over by just how rugged it was in its design and small in stature.
(2) 1955 Land Rover Series I 107 – Inch Pick-up. This was the author’s second favourite in the collection, completely original, a true survivor, carrying with it the hard-earned character of rural New Zealand.
(3) 1956 Land Rover Series I 109 – Inch Pick-up. One half of a pair of rare CKD (Complete Knocked Down) Land Rovers assembled in Dublin and formerly of the County Laois Fire Service.
(4) 1982 Land Rover Series III V8. This Land Rover has real presence and with enough power to pull a house down it is believed by many to be the most capable Series to come out of the factory at Solihull.
(5) 1951 Land Rover Series I 109 – Inch Basic. From our research, we discovered from the original newspaper advertisement that this Series I was bought in 1951 from Land Rover agents Broadway Parking & Petrol Station in Dunedin who advertised this 109-inch in the Otago Daily Times as a 10cwt Farm and Industrial Utility Vehicle.
(6) 1956 Land Rover Series I Pick-up. The second CKD (Complete Knocked Down) Series I, assembled by Brittains Group on Dublin’s Naas Road and formerly of the County Laois Fire Service. This Series I is coupled with a 1938 Beresford-Stork pump trailer, chariot-style, fitted with a demountable Austin engine to power the pump.
(6a) 1938 Beresford-Stork Lightweight Trailer Pump. We were very taken with how technically advanced this trailer pump was for 1938. From our research the Beresford-Stork was the leading pump trailer used in WW2. The chariot style trailer held a demountable pump with 900cc 8 hp Austin engine. It’s a serious bit of kit.
(7) 1956 Series I 86-Inch RHD Export (CKD) Station Wagon. Exported as CKD from Solihull and assembled in New Zealand we were amazed to see that in 69 years this Country Station Wagon had only covered 37, 238 miles!
(8) 1957 Land Rover Series I 88 – Inch. We did some research on this Series I and after spending its working life in the High Country, in Auckland, it was restored by the Land Rover Enthusiasts Club in Rotorua and later served in habitat conservation with the Kaharoa Kokako Trust in the Bay of Plenty before joining this collection.
(9) 1958 Land Rover Series I 88 – Inch RHD Export. The 52 hp original engine was not enough power for the original owner in New Zealand and so they swapped out the 1997 cc engine for a 2.8-litre Nissan LD28 6-cylinder diesel – that is a lot more power!
(10) 1956 Land Rover Series I 107 – Inch. As the only Australian Series I in the collection this rare 7-seater CKD station wagon had an unusual journey to Ireland. Built in 1956, it worked hard on a sheep station before being laid up in a shed from 1975. Rediscovered three decades later, its 1,997cc engine was carefully coaxed back to life and, running on fuel from a jerry can strapped to the roof, it was driven 40 miles cross-country to the nearest main road, before being shipped to Ireland in 2005 to join the collection.
(11) 1952 Land Rover Series I 80-Inch/107-Inch/109-Inch Country Station Wagon. This author’s personal favourite has a bit of an identity crisis and a real Mad Max vibe going on. It’s a true High-Country, original, first registered in rural New Zealand. Although it is a 107-Inch Country Station Wagon, the chassis number is for a Series 1 80-Inch vehicle. I love the paintwork, the rugged wheels, Roo bar and most of all the rear lights. It took me a while it identify them as 1968 Australian-spec Ford Falcon XT squinting eye, chrome tail lights and reflectors.
(12) 1957 Land Rover Series I 107-Inch CSW Export RHD. We understand from the current owner that this Series I was bought as an abandoned rolling chassis sourced from a Land Rover garage in New Zealand. We were particularly impressed by the work that had gone into the reconditioned Series IIa 2.25 engine. A lot done and a lot more to do!
CLEAR WINNER
It’s not often you get to spend two full days climbing over, under, and inside such a remarkable collection of Land Rovers. After that time, this author’s pick is clear: number eleven on the list, the 1956 107-Inch. Beyond a mechanical restoration, I wouldn’t touch a thing. The Roo bars, sun-faded paint and Falcon tail lights give it a full Mad Max vibe — exactly my style. A man can only dream!
We’ve carried out in-depth research and prepared comprehensive PDFs on each Series Land Rover in the collection. You can explore them at www.irelandmade.ie
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If you have an idea for a story, please email Kevin Reid at [email protected]
