Series II 109

History

The Australian Army standardised on the long-wheelbase Land Rover as its light truck in the Series 2 era. The first Series 2 109s, in service from around 1960, were what the Registry of Ex-Military Land Rovers (REMLR) describes as "more-or-less civilian" vehicles, while the Series 2A ¾-ton units supplied from 1963 to 1966 went mainly to specialty conversions — ambulances, fire tenders, survey and workshop bodies — before the definitive Series 2A ¾-ton GS (census 6028) arrived in numbers around 1966–67. Like most Australian-market Land Rovers of the period, the Army's vehicles were assembled from knocked-down kits by Pressed Metal Corporation at Enfield in Sydney, which had held the Rover assembly contract since the mid-1950s and continued building Land Rovers into the 1980s; REMLR records both four- and six-cylinder 109s coming through Pressed Metal Corporation as late as 1971–72.

The Army-pattern GS trucks differed substantially from civilian 109s. The chassis gained extended front spring mounts and rear shackles for extra ride height, an extra outrigger carrying a duplicate 10-gallon fuel tank, longer shock absorbers and 7.50-16 tyres, while the 2.25-litre petrol engine ran twin fan belts. Exterior fittings included the characteristic brushguard ("bull bar"), bridge-classification plate, blackout light, pioneer-tool brackets, NATO trailer socket, twin fuel fillers and a canvas strap for the folded windscreen — the canvas-tilted, bull-barred silhouette the registry model reproduces. Some 109s carried an Army-specification PTO winch made by Bamfords of Victoria.

Early vehicles were delivered in gloss Bronze Green enamel (the British Deep Bronze Green standard); from April 1967 the fleet was over-sprayed in the Australian Army's own flat, infrared-reflective Olive Drab, with white-painted bumper corners and rear diff for convoy work and stencilled load-sign markings. The Series 2 and 2A 109s soldiered on through the Vietnam era and beyond until progressively replaced by Series 3 and, from 1987, Perentie 110 fleets; many survive with collectors and in unit museums.

Registry record

Manufacturer

The Rover Company (CKD kits assembled by Pressed Metal Corporation, Enfield, Sydney)

Manufactured

circa 1960–1972 (Series 2, then Series 2A supply)

Engine type

2.25 L petrol inline-four (Army spec with twin fan belts; some later 2A lots six-cylinder)

Country of origin

United Kingdom (assembled in Australia)

Status

retired; survivors preserved by collectors and army museums

Catalogue data

Record kind

Named model

Model line

Series II

Wheels

4

Base catalogue fields are exported from the Difflocked game. In-game physics values are arcade tuning, not certified historical measurements, and are deliberately not shown as specifications here.

Sources & citations

Researched sources

• Series 2A 109 GS (Australian Army ¾ ton GS: chassis modifications, fittings, gloss Bronze Green then flat Olive Drab, service dates) ↗ — Registry of Ex-Military Land Rovers (REMLR) (accessed 2026-09-10)
• Australian Army Vehicle Colour Schemes and Paint (April 1967 change from gloss Deep Bronze Green to lustreless Olive Drab) ↗ — Registry of Ex-Military Land Rovers (REMLR) (accessed 2026-09-10)
• Who assembled the Landys in OZ (Pressed Metal Corporation, Enfield, Sydney; Rover assembly contract from the mid-1950s; 4- and 6-cylinder 109s assembled 1971-72) ↗ — AULRO forum (accessed 2026-09-10)
• Pressed Metal Corporation ↗ — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09-10)
• Land Rover Series 2A, 3/4 ton General Service (museum object record for the successor 2A GS type) ↗ — Australian War Memorial (accessed 2026-09-10)