If you’re a similar age to me – and even if you aren’t – you’ll probably recognise this military vehicle from the pages of an Airfix catalogue. Generations of British children learned their basic armoured vehicle recognition skills in this way, entranced by vivid box artwork that set young imaginations racing. The Bren Gun Carrier – which is how it’s generally known, although the name is more properly the Universal Carrier – was immortalised as a plastic kit in 1964 and you can still buy it from Airfix for a pocket-money £6.99.
I was born the same year that Airfix tooled up its Bren Gun Carrier and so, when I saw a full-size example as part of the military vehicle display at last year’s Goodwood Revival, I was immediately drawn to it. Fortunately, the owner was standing nearby and was happy to answer my questions. Yes, it’s a genuine 1940s-built example; yes, it’s powered by a flathead Ford V8; and yes, it’s incredibly original. Even better, when I asked whether we could feature it in Octane and whether I could have a drive, he also said yes.
That got me thinking: what would a modern British Army tank specialist think of the Carrier? And I knew just the chap. We recently featured subject in issue 210 for his work as CEO of Mission Motorsport, a charity for veterans and their families – and one that helps rehabilitate the wounded, injured and sick within the automotive sector. He’s driven every kind of armoured vehicle up to and including Challenger 2 tanks; in fact, his Twitter handle ‘Tankslider’ refers to an incident when he was carpeted for drifting a main battle tank – all 65 tonnes of it – through a chicane at the barracks where he was based. Who better to provide some feedback?
