All steamed up about Landy that’s a hoot! W
E have a somewhat unusual vehicle on test this week - so unusual it is claimed to be the only one of its kind in the world. Meet Mildred, the steam-powered Land Rover!
Built by local entrepreneur, inventor and company director Frank Rothwell, Mildred is a 1967 Series IIA Land Rover which is powered by a large scale model steam truck engine.
With a top speed of just 15 mph, and needing up to two hours to start, Mildred took around 1,200 hours to build - the majority of which was Frank’s time constructing the model steam engine kit. She already has an MoT and is awaiting the green light from Department of Transport inspectors before taking to the road.
Frank, who invented Bunkabin units for site worker accommodation, now also runs a company which installs temporary multi-storey car parks.
He said: “It is just something completely different and gets lots of smiles. She may be slow but always attracts lots of attention wherever we go.
“It was a lot of work and making the steam engine kit was by far the hardest part - but I think it was worth it, this is the only coal powered steam Land Rover in the world.”
Chuffing out clouds of white smoke and with a steam whistle to warn of its approach, power comes from the coal-fired boiler - with the fuel being loaded by spade into a grate where the gear stick would normally be.
Now usually at this point I would be quoting performance and economy figures… but 0 to 60 speeds simply do not apply and, as yet, there is no data on how many miles to the ton (of coal) she will do.
Frank, who also owns a full-size historic steam wagon and drives a late model Range Rover, added: “There are downsides - a low top speed and it takes two hours for the boiler to get up steam - but Mildred is a star.”
And he should know because the 67-year-old appeared on Bear Grylls’ The Island TV series last year - where he was the oldest (and most capable) castaway.
Frank, who lives in the nearby Pennine hills, also reckons Mildred has been a good investment, valuing his quirky Land Rover at around £20,000. At the Geneva Motor Show, Morgan Motor Company revealed its most extreme road-going model to date, the Aero GT (above) – and the first edition has now rolled off the production line.
Morgan Motor Company will produce just eight of the special Aero GT variants – all individually built bespoke to customer specification.
The Aero GT represents the end of Aero 8 production. Powered by the same 367bhp BMW N62 V8 engine used in the Aero 8, the Aero GT will travel from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 170mph.
Each Aero GT will be built with Morgan’s latest adjustable suspension and come with manual transmission.
Customer will have an individual design consultancy with Jon Wells, Morgan’s Head of Design, before the car enters production.
Enamelled ‘GT’ badges signify the model variant and each is individually hand made by a British jeweller.
The interior is hand-finished with a series of painted stitching and pinstripe accents, and there is an extended choice of wood options.
And the price? From around £120,000, but don’t be surprised if they are all already sold!