Rare 1974 Land Rover Forward Control Truck Surfaces in the US

Currently located in at a shop in Bridgeport, this rarely-seen hauler was reportedly imported from Spain. And impressively enough, it's not a junkyard find that needs a lot of work to become road-worthy. This Land Rover runs and drives.

It's unclear if it's a proper survivor or an older restoration, but the truck appears to be in pretty good condition. The green paint is solid except for a few scratches and some weathering, while the body panels are straight save for a few dings. The bed frame needs some work, and the original top may be missing, but the truck is otherwise complete.

The only picture of the interior reveals a sound cabin with weathered seats and dirty floor panels. The engine looks like an unrestored unit. But while it may have been neglected in the cosmetic department, it's safe to assume it got some sort of mechanical attention to remain in operation after a whopping 50 years.

The seller doesn't share info on the mill, but we should be looking at a 2.3-liter inline-four diesel unit. These were offered alongside a gasoline mill with similar displacement in this truck, which was derived from the Land Rover Series IIA.

While it may look similar to the Land Rover 101 Forward Control, this rig is a tad different. Unlike the former, which was produced in Solihull, England, for the British Army, this hauler was assembled in Linares, Spain. It was built by Santana Motor, a Spanish company that had a licensing agreement with Land Rover between 1958 and 1990.

Unlike the 101 Forward Control, which was produced as a military vehicle, the Santana truck was sold to the general public. Built on the Series IIA's 109-inch-long (2,769-mm) wheelbase, it was called the 1300 for its 1.3-ton load capacity. Production lasted from 1967 to 1978, but Santana assembled only around 4,000 units.

It's unclear how many of these 4x4 haulers are still around, but they're quite rare in Europe and even scarcer in the United States. I'm not saying this green example is the only one in the US right now, but it's a strong possibility.

The seller says he imported the 1300 to use as a shop truck, but he has no use for it now that he sold his part of the business. The vehicle is "priced to sell" at $18,500. It's difficult to tell if it's worth the sticker, but this truck deserves a proper restoration. Jay Leno should definitely add it to his already impressive collection.