The Austin Champ was the British Army's answer to the US Army's famous Willys MB Jeep, also featured in our 1:76 scale military series. The Austin Motor Company produced the Champ between 1951 and 1956 as a military vehicle and later for civilian use. 

The Austin Champ is the civilian name of a British Army vehicle made by the Austin Motor Company. The official military name of the vehicle was ‘Truck, ¼ ton, CT, 4 x 4, Cargo & FFW (Fitted For Wireless)’. The name Champ was eventually used for all vehicles.

The project to create the Austin Champ began in 1947 to gain independence from the United States for the purchase of Jeep-like vehicles. The vehicle was designed by the Fighting Vehicles Reseatch and Development Establishment (FVRDE). The first prototypes were the Nuffield Gutty and Wolseley Mudlark. The final production order would go to the Austin company.

The first production vehicles were delivered in 1950 and production would continue until 1956 at the Austin plant in Longbridge near Birmingham. There were 2 variants Cargo and Fitted For Wireless (FFW, radio), the army also converted variants to ambulance, telephone cable laying and machine gun variants.