Hotspur armoured steel kit (RUC Series III 109)

A steel armour box built inside and over a civilian Series III 109 station wagon for the Royal Ulster Constabulary: a second armoured-steel roof under the aluminium one, large ballistic plates bolted to the body sides wrapping round the rear pillars to armoured double doors with sliding pistol ports, bulletproof glass in the windscreen and doors, a retractable grille over the windscreen, polycarbonate over the side windows, later polycarbonate lower panels, perimeter rubber skirts and grilles, and a driver-operated fire-extinguishing system. Named after the Welsh brand of armour plate; it answered high-velocity fire that the GRP VPK could not stop.

Series III 109 station wagon; from January 1986 the same kits were transferred onto new 110 chassis as the Tangi, and RUC workshops fabricated new kits once the donor Hotspurs ran out

Rarity. Produced in bulk for the RUC from the late 1970s (151 Hotspurs had fire-suppression systems by end 1983) but the kits were stripped from the Series III hulls and re-used on new 110 chassis as Tangis from 1986, so original Hotspur-bodied Series IIIs are scarce; the RUC armoured fleet peaked around 450 vehicles.

Record: 3 sources; designation recorded; no price recorded.

LAND ROVER

Series III 109 station wagon; from January 1986 the same kits were transferred onto new 110 chassis as the Tangi, and RUC workshops fabricated new kits once the donor Hotspurs ran out