Peter Townsend — Earth, My Friend

Townsend bought a Land Rover for his round-the-world journey, begun in 1956 and later described in Earth, My Friend. The supplied research brief identifies the vehicle as UWD 435, a 1955 Series I 88-inch hard top, and specifies light-grey paint.

Two supplied period photographs establish the square registration plate on the left front can carrier, twin bumper-mounted can carriers, bonnet spare, low roof rails, opening roof vent and rounded rear side windows. The model follows that travelling configuration rather than the temporary cooking equipment laid out in the campsite photograph. Exact paint shade is representative.

The brief reports that Jean-Claude Marchand owned the surviving vehicle in 2023, citing the linked owners’ group post. That post was inaccessible during this pass, so this is retained as an attributed report rather than a independently verified statement of current ownership. The 1955 build date and 88-inch identification are also retained from the supplied brief; no chassis record has been inspected.