Left-hand drive & Property of the Earl of Onslow
1971 SAVIEM TP3L39 4x4 Gun Bus
Registration no. MSJ 909
Chassis no. 251953
Engine no. 0817-04070

Founded in France in 1955, commercial vehicle manufacturer SAVIEM (Société Anonyme de Véhicules Industriels et d'Equipements Mécaniques) was part of the Renault Group. SAVIEM was formed by the merger of Renault's truck and bus divisions with those of erstwhile rivals Somua and Latil, and the company has co-operated with various other European commercial vehicle companies over the years. In 1975, Renault acquired the truck and bus producer Berliet from the Michelin Group, merging Berliet and SAVIEM a few years later to form Renault Véhicules Industriels (RVI). At first the old marques were retained while the model ranges were rationalised, and then in 1980 all products were badged as Renault and the SAVIEM brand disappeared. This left-hand drive SAVIEM was acquired in 1998 for use as a gun bus from, appropriately enough, the Gun Bus Company in Sheffield. It has four-wheel drive transmission, is powered by a 2.6-litre petrol engine and seats three up front with a further 12 seats at the rear. Purchased in restored condition, 'MSJ 909' was upgraded at that time with a rear step, one pair of sliding windows, one pair of side windows, gloss paint and new tyres. Since then the vehicle has been used as a gun bus by shooting parties on the Earl's Clandon Park Estate near Guildford, Surrey. In need of re-commissioning, it comes with Swansea V5 and is offered without reserve.