| Alvis Saladin | |
|---|---|
 Alvis Saladin at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford | |
| Type | Armoured car |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Crossley Motors |
| Designed | 1954[1] |
| Manufacturer | Alvis |
| Produced | 1958–1972[2] |
| No. built | 1,177 |
| Specifications | |
| 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) |
The FV601 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]
The Saladin also spawned an armoured personnel carrier counterpart, the Alvis Saracen.[2]
Despite the vehicle's age and dated design, it is still in use in a number of countries in secondary roles.
- ^ a b c Bull, Stephen (2004). Encyclopedia of Military Technology and Innovation. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 220–221. ISBN 978-1-57356-557-8.
- ^ a b c Christopher F. Foss (16 May 2000). Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide (2000 ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. pp. 386–391. ISBN 978-0-00-472452-2.
- ^ Middle East Economic Digest (1968). Collard, Elizabeth, Volume 12 pp. 131—173.