Description
Faced with the requirement to update its light armored vehicles post-WWII, the British Ministry of Defence turned to the Daimler company. Development began in 1949 and the resulting Ferret armored, or Scout, first entered service in 1952. The Ferret shared many design features with its Daimler Dingo predecessor but incorporated a larger crew compartment and a small machine gun turret. The six-cylinder engine was a Rolls-Royce B60 overhead-valve petrol unit developing 129bhp, good enough to endow the 3.75-ton (‘dry’) Ferret with a top speed close to 60mph. Drive was transmitted via a fluid flywheel to a five-speed pre-selective gearbox and thence via a transfer ‘box to all four wheels.
Produced by Daimler in 1962 and in active service for a further 30 years, the Ferret last saw active service in with the Royal Hussars on the Rhine valley in 1992. Part of a private collection for over 20 years, the Ferret is fully equipped still with (de-activated) smoke grenade launchers, a periscope, also shovels, axe and gerry cans should you need to dig yourself out of a tricky situation.
With a torquey Rolls-Royce 4.2 litre motor, four-wheel-drive and a pre-selector gearbox, we are sure this will be a hoot to drive – down roads, over hedges and fields and through streams and rivers!
