Whether the emergency is a flailing swimmer on the beaches of Blackpool, a capsized boat off the California coast or a major catastrophe in the South Pacific, the vehicle navigating across the sands to the rescue is likely to be a Land Rover. Noted for its reliability, durability and ability to move efficiently on the most inhospital surfaces (like deep sand), the Land Rover is the preferred emergency vehicle for beach and coast guard departments. And, with more than 1.5 million Land Rovers in the world, it is undoubtedly one of the most popular of the light-duty 4x4 vehicles.

The Land Rover was introduced shortly after the war, in 1948. The Rover Company - which before the war had manufactured high quality motor cars for the professional classes - decided to build a vehicle to compete with the Jeep. The prototype of the Land Rover appeared in 1947, the first public showing was in 1948 and, by July of that year, Land Rovers began to come out of the Rover factory in Solihull, England. The Land Rover was an immediate success, especially in the export market. The initial Land Rover had an 80-inch wheelbase like the Jeep, and was fitted with a 1595cc four-cylinder engine that provided 50 horsepower @ 4,000 rpm. Within two years, demand for a more powerful engine was recognized and, in 1950, the Land Rover was offered with a 1997cc engine.

Now, a 1952 Land Rover - the last 80-inch model with the 1997cc engine - is recreated in a die-cast model that raises the standard of detail on precision-engineered models. This extraordinary replica of a Land Rover Surf Patrol emergency vehicle is fitted with an emergency light that moves up and down, a rack that flios over and a removable raft. Pulling a trailer filled with equipment to handle the most severe emergencies, your 1952 Land Rover Rescue Vehicle is produced by - and available only from - Matchbox Collectibles.

The Land Rover Name and Logo are trade marks of Rover Group Limited used under licence by Mattel, Inc. © Rover Group Limited 1987 and 1998.

Scale: 1:43