The name Nuffield Gutty was used for three prototype vehicles built in 1947 in an attempt to meet a

British War Department The War Department was the United Kingdom government department responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the pursuance of military activity. In 1857, it became the War Office. Within the War Office, the ...

specification for a light field car to replace the American Jeep that was in service in large numbers following the war. This vehicle featured a horizontally opposed 4-cylinder engine similar to that designed for the planned small post-war car to be called the Morris Mosquito, that eventually appeared (with a conventional vertical side-valve engine) as the

Morris Minor The Morris Minor is a British economy family car that made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, in October 1948. Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.6 million were manufactured between 1948 and 1972 in ...

. The Gutty was not directly successful but is regarded as the predecessor of the FV1800 Wolseley Mudlark which was in turn the immediate predecessor of the

Austin Champ The Austin Champ was a military and civilian jeep-like vehicle made by the Austin Motor Company in the 1950s. The army version was officially known as "Truck, 1/4 ton, CT, 4×4, Cargo & FFW, Austin Mk.1" however the civilian name "Champ" was un ...

. One of the three prototype vehicles has survived and was formerly on display at the

Museum of Army Transport The Museum of Army Transport was a museum of British Army vehicles in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The collection included a diverse collection of armoured vehicles and support vehicles, many of which were part of the National ...

in Beverley, Yorkshire (closed 2003) and was in storage until 2011 when it was transferred to the

Heritage Motor Centre The British Motor Museum in Warwickshire, England holds the world's largest collection of historic British cars, with over 300 cars on display from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust. History The creation o ...

. The confusingly similar name " Nuffield Guppy" had previously been used for an unrelated prototype vehicle.

References

Military vehicles of the United Kingdom {{mil-vehicle-stub

See also

References