FLM Panelcraft
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- Category: Range Rover
- Created on Thursday, 29 December 2011 14:48
- Last Updated on Monday, 06 February 2012 18:58
- Published on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 00:00
- Written by Site Admin
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FLM Panelcraft Ltd started out as a coachbuilder and amongst other things, they became famous for their estate conversion of the Rover P6 called the 'Estoura'. Around 160 Rover P6 'Estoura' estates were built.
Range Rover four door conversion
In 1972 Rover in Solihull had developed their first ever 4 door Range Rover prototype, but at that time British Leyland's finances were being channeled into new car models rather than expanding and developing existing ones. The pressure to bring the four door to production was also limited by the fact that production of the two door Range Rover could not cover buyer demand, and so further development was put aside.
However, demand for a four door conversion of the Range Rover was increasing - especially from the wealthy oil states of the Middle East. Conversion company FLM Panelcraft developed and offered a four door conversion as early as 1974, making them the first company to produce such a conversion. In the period when Land Rover was unable to develop their own four door version, this conversion was approved by Land-Rover, and FLM Panelcraft were recommended in Range Rover sales materials for four door conversions during the 1970's.
FLM four-door with 'hidden' front winch option
A year later Wood & Pickett Ltd also developed a four door conversion. Both companies used a similar solution for the rear doors - narrow the length of the front doors, shorten the front door and the rear door cut out was made in relation to the profile of the wheel arches. The specially made rear doors used the same door pull arrangement as on the front doors, but narrowed. Maybe the most obvious feature on these early conversions was the use of sliding windows and not winding windows.
Soon after the FLM Panelcraft 4 door conversion became available with it's ease of access to the rear seat, there was a rise in demand for more legroom for the rear passengers. FLM Panelcaft made use of the 10 inch chassis extension conversion by Spencer Abbott Ltd, the same company that supplied 10 inch extended Range Rover variants for the ambulance converters like Wadham Stringer, Herbert Lomas and Pilcher-Greene. This longer wheelbase gave sufficient space for the rear passengers, and allowed FLM Panelcraft to develop longer rear doors. These longer rear doors had wind-down windows. At the rear of the rear door was a quarter light window that could be opened for fresh air ventilation and at the front end of the rear door a fixed window piece was fitted to give enough space for the windable glass.
The rear door opening handle was the same as used on the original 100" 4 door conversion. Inside, FLM Panelcraft made use of chopped door armrest and door handles from the original 2 door Range Rover. Also inside vinyl panels looked very similar to the original 2 door inserts.
The FLM Panelcraft 4 door conversion could be delivered with a Webasto full size sunroof, air conditioning, double headlight conversion, winches, spotlights, special paintwork, hunting seats and other equipment.
FLM Panelcraft Fully Open Personnel Conversion
Another FLM Panelcraft Range Rover conversion was the fully open personnel carrier with foldable windscreen and a wooden frame around the upper body edge. This conversion was available in both 2 door or 4 door versions.
The Royal Guard in the United Arab Emirates had these fully open Range Rover conversions in their service. FLM Panlecraft produced many different vehicle conversions - and roughly 50 Range Rover conversions - each year until they closed down in the early 1980's
FLM Panelcraft 6 Wheel 4 Door Extended Conversion
The FLM Panelcraft six wheeler four-door came with an extended 118" wheelbase, and with 6x6 wheel drive. The rear doors were extended to the same length as the two-door Range Rover size, but with the typical FLM window solution. The vehicle had an extended rear overhang, a full length fold-able sunroof, refrigerator, Air conditioning, and Michelin sand tyres on reinforced Land Rover steel wheels. These vehicles were produced in the late 1970's, but few were made.
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