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Forget your Ferrari, leave your Lam-borghinis, mangle your Masaratis, or jump ou! of your Jaguars. The ultimate In exotic sports/off-road vehicles Is now available to the general public, and unless you have one. you will be nowhere in the vegetable-snaffling stakes.A pure mixture of Rolls Royce engine and Daimler chassis and body, the Ferret Light Scout Car is the ideal status vehicle for those wishing to make their mark in the world and quash every status seeker on your block, not to mention collecting every piece of stray turnip and carrot in the neighbourhood.The engine of this exotica is by Roils Royce, and where in the past they have refrained from releasing horsepower figures, stating on|y that it is ‘adequate*, they this time inform us that it produces 129 bhp at 3750rpm, but don't tell us what size the engine is. The body is all* welded armour plating, varying in thickness from 6mm to 16mm. The styling, by normal standards, is unusual, yet there is i a definite air of authority about it which compels attention.The vehicle is a definite three seater, :«vitn two people in the slightly cramped cabin and a third seated in the turret -just the thing for that menage a trois when you don't want to be disturbed. The turret's occupant has supurb control over the optional machine guns and, with the sunroof open, has a panoramic view of the passing scenery. But you'd better make sure that he/she is a good friend, as the person in the turret is perfectly position* ed for kicking the driver in the head if that worthy incurs the gunner's displeasure.Unlike other two seaters. the Ferret has greb-handles on die sides so you can carryup to eight friends at a pinch. The boot-space is non-existent but you can carry plenty of goar tied onto the back.The interior has 3n air of functional efficiency reminiscent of a Mercedes, only starker. The seats could use more padding and could prove uncomfortable-over about 24 hours. Indeed. In these days of bucket seats which swallow you up: whole, it makes a refreshing change to find seats that ypu.sit on, rather than in.The instrumentation is reasonable with speedo and Tachometer directly in front of tfee driver with a complete array of other gauges and dials scattered about themThe steering wheel is large and flat, but unlike trucks and minis, it is canted over The other way so that the driver automatically adopts a technique of steering with the hands UNDER the wheel rather than over it The lack of power steering is a definite oversight by the manufacturers as steering effort is extremely heavy, especially at low speeds. The unusual steering wheel arrangement does, however, allow the driver to exercise quite a bit of leverage. None-the-less, this is very definitely a man's vehicle as most women simply wouldn't have enough muscle for the job.The five-speed gear box is of the semiautomatic pre selector type. You engage the gear you want, then tell the box when to change ratios by pressing down on what would normally be the clutch pedal. Two dabs are necessary when coming down through the cogs. The H pattern is a bit like that used by Peugeot, with first up and. to the left, second down and in the middle, third above it and so on.Reverse is selected with a switch near the gear levei, and operates on all five gears, making the Forret excellent forbacking out of tight parking lots and for quick getaways.Forward visibility with the driver's port open is good without being excellent and, as there is no windscreen, goggles are a necessity. A periscope is provided for use during inclement weather.However visibility then becomes even more restricted and there is a distinct possibility that you might find yourself clipping parked cars, simply because you didn't see them The result of such a connurbation are. however, more hkley to be the other driver's problem than yours.Rearward visibility is best described as non-existent, but again this is no problem when parking as one nevei has to worry about hitting the other car — one just drives over it.Acceleration is brisk without being startling and the ride is a bit on the firm side. This is forglveable however as this is, after all, a four-wheel drive, off-road vehicle which will go almost anywhere you can take a Land Rover. Off-road speeds should be kept down or the firm suspension will bounce you out of the seat and into the armour-plated roof Very painful.With the optional floatation collar attached, one can even take the Ferret boating, using the front wheels as rudders and the four wheels as rudders and the four driving wheels as inefficient but useable_ paddlewheels. That's a definite one-up on the Range Rover.Summing it up then, tiie Ferret is a solid, reliable, go-anywhere sports vehicle with exceptional appeal. The perfect gift for the he-man who has everything.Benthouse /FoundMlon Day Thatunka. August 3, 1978. Psgv 15.
Newspaper Details
Kensington Tharunka
Kensington, New South Wales, AU
Thu, Aug 03, 1978
Page 42
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CA, USA 15 Nov 2024
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Kensington Tharunka
