The Range Rover 6x4 TACR2, (Truck Airfield Crash Rescue) was introduced
in 1977 as a successor to the earlier TACR1 based on a Land Rover
chassis. The vehicles were designed in conjunction with the Ministry of
Defence as first response crash rescue vehicles to get to the scene of
an aircraft incident and rescue the crew before the major fire
appliances arrived. They carried 200 gallons of premixed foam and water,
an assortment of rescue gear and operated with a four man crew. The
original TACR2's were built by Gloster Saro at Hucclecote on 2 door
Range Rover chassis converted to 6x4 configuration by Carmichael's in
Worcester who were the only company originally approved by Land Rover to
carry out the conversion. Gloster Saro had to fabricate the rear crew
doors themselves to satisfy the MOD specification. The rear bodywork and
roof were GRP mouldings. As soon as the 4 door version of the Range
Rover was introduced this was utilized. A Godiva fire pump was located
between the rear passenger seats. Over 200 TACR2s were built by three
different companies; Gloster Saro, Carmichael Fire and HCB-Angus Ltd.The
'Pink Panther' is the third in the series of Oxford’s TACR2 vehicles
and represents the prototype of the first batch of 43 Gloster-Saro built
vehicles. This example which is finished in a red Day-Glo livery with
matt black bonnet, was the sole vehicle to feature this livery.
Registered 31 AG 41, it was based at the RAF’s fire fighting training
school at Catterick in North Yorkshire where it was used in conjunction
with other types of military fire engines for training Air Force fire
fighters.