Coastguard Gen 1

History

Coastguard took many of its rescue 4×4s second-hand from the services in the 1960s, and this Gen 1 Shorty is one: built in 1957 for the Ministry of Defence, released in 1966 and re-registered KYL 88D for Coastguard use. The capstan winch on the front bumper, driven off the engine, was fitted for cliff-rescue work — hauling the breeches-buoy lines and the rescue cradle — and the vehicle kept its military bronze green rather than being repainted. The Flickr photograph shows it preserved on the road, still carrying its Coastguard identity: bronze green with a grey canvas tilt and door tops, the capstan with its yellow cap on a bracket ahead of the grille, the spare on the bonnet with a coil of rope on it, a yellow disc on the left wing front, small H.M. COASTGUARD lettering and the crest on the doors, and black KYL 88D plates. The queue row's description mentions a blue livery, but the photograph shows the vehicle in green, and the model follows the photograph.