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TheFV601 Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car developed by Crossley Motors[1] and later manufactured by Alvis. Designed in 1954, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car in service with the British Army from 1958 onward. The vehicle weighed 11 tonnes, offered a top speed of 72 km/h, and had a crew of three.[1] Saladins were noted for their excellent performance in desert conditions, and found favour with a number of Middle Eastern armies accordingly.[3] They were armed with a 76 mm low-pressure rifled gun which fired the same ammunition as that mounted on the FV101 Scorpion.[2]
| Production history | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Designer | Crossley Motors |
| Designed | 1954[1] |
| Manufacturer | Alvis |
| Produced | 1958–1972[2] |
| No. built | 1,177 |
| Mass | 11.6 t |
| Length | 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in) |
| Width | 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 2.39 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armour | Up to 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Main armament | 76 mm L5A1 gun with 42 rounds |
| Secondary armament | 2 × M1919A4 machine guns with 3,500 rounds |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce B80 Mk.6A, 8 cyl petrol 170 hp (127 kW) |
| Power/weight | 15.5 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | 6x6 wheel |
| Operational range | 400 km (250 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 72 km/h (45 mph) |
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