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[Genem]

50 years ago today Tonka rolled off the production line at Solihull as a 24v LHD FFR "Rover 1". She was initially sent to Central Vehicle Depot, Hilton on 5th October and shipped to Germany, via Antwerp on 24th Dec 1971, to spend 14 year with BAOR, initially with 36 Heavy Air Defence Regt, RA, then 2 RCT Squadrons. Demobbed in 1984 she was bought by Arrows Engineering, who made trailers for MOD and are probably responsible for the conversion to RHD. Later civilian ownership is a bit hazy though I know she was "laid up" in a barn locally for 11 years before being bought by my Doctors father, who had her rebuilt onto a galv chassis...  Anyway, 50 years old and still going strong, one of the younger vehicles in the Club I suppose !

   

[diffwhine]

And many happy returns!
I look forward to finally getting my 1968 LWT to see the light of day!

[Daisythelandy]

Happy birthday to Tonka, she looked well on the Scottish run on the 19th. 
Daisy is 55 years old on the 1st November which is the same date as Fiona's new car though 53 years apart and both are in her name.

Cheers,
Dave.

[crumbly65]

Happy Birthday to Tonka Gene!  So how do you intend to celebrate?

A cream cake for you, and what for Tonka?

[CarolB]

Happy half century Tonka - you have certainly had a busy and interesting life so far. Lots more fun to come in the future I hope.   

[rustynuts]

Is that what happens when you put a roof tent in the winds of Scotland?

[Peter Holden]

At 50 Tonka is a mere adolescent, I think mine is an old woman at 63

Peter

[Herald1360]

How come Tonka has a "G" plate? It's clearly not age related and doesn't look like anything special.

[Genem]

How come Tonka has a "G" plate? It's clearly not age related and doesn't look like anything special.

Aha, a simple explanation. It should be on a '71 plate, a K suffix as it was September production. The PO bought it on a Q plate and did not like it, so went to the trouble of getting a Heritage Cert from Gaydon and arranging an "age related" plate with DVLA.... so far so good, except the info from Gaydon was utter mince and referred to a completely different vehicle !

Re-checking the info, supported by a copy of the MoD "B Card" got me a "corrected" Heritage Cert - but even that has a couple of minor errors...

I'm happy enough, I've had DVLA correct the Z recorded in the in the chassis number to a 2, the number plate is just an identifier, I'll let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[Peter Holden]

Just one of the occasions when you dont poke a stick into a wasps nest

Peter