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PYD450P

 

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PYD450P is a Land Rover 101 Forward Control which I bought from this fine gentleman. It is (I believe) the largest production model made by Land Rover, designed for the British army who wanted an air-transportable all-terrain vehicle capable of carrying a tonne and towing a heavy load. Only 2669 were ever manufactured.

All vehicles should have names - if its good enough for ships and trains, it's good enough for trucks too. I spent a long time trying to come up with a name which is descriptive without being completely wank. In the end, I settled on Grendel, after the beast from Beowulf. This was inspired by the following (from Chambers):

Grendel is the monster in the epic Beowulf. Grendel represents the stormy sea ... He dwells in the Fen, where he is seen as the demon of the sea-marsh rather than of the sea itself. He lives in the "pestilential swamp."

Rather apt, I thought, for an off-road vehicle.