Gen 2 Special forces

History

Doors, roof and windscreen were removed entirely, and the vehicles were fitted for a general-purpose machine gun, rifle boxes, grenade holders, smoke dischargers front and rear, navigation equipment and spotlights. The conversions left Boxbody in standard bronze green, but for desert service the SAS painted them a dusty pink — trials having shown pink to be a remarkably effective desert camouflage colour, particularly in the low light of dawn and dusk, an observation dating back to wartime desert operations. The pink finish earned the vehicles their enduring nickname: the 'Pink Panthers', or 'Pinkies'. Hard desert use meant most of the 72 did not survive service; roughly 20 are thought to remain, and they are now among the most sought-after of all military 4×4s.