Miscellaneous classics #13: Condiesel LARC 'Ducktours'

While it has been said that there is not much to do in Singapore, I always see throngs of tourists at our attractions. One may also have noticed the bus tours run by Big Bus Singapore, where open-top buses bring tourists to various attractions. You may have noticed the huge boat-shaped vehicles with a duck face at the front: one moment cruising through city streets, the next splashing into the water. The Ducktours have become so ubiquitous of our tourism landscape over the years, and after much research, I was able to understand more about the history of the 1973 Condiesel LARC-V! 

Developed by the US Army Transportation Research Command in the late 1950s, the 'Lighter, Amphibious Resupply, Cargo, 5-ton' or LARC-V was first produced in 1963 by Le Tourneau-Westinghouse and later Consolidated Diesel Electric Corporation. There were also 2 other types of LARCs, namely the XV and LX; for brevity further mentions of 'LARC' refer to the V version. 

LARCs were initially intended for use in rivers and protected waters in support of amphibious operations, which later evolved to surf zone salvage and survey diving operations. They were made from aluminum alloy, for enhanced corrosion resistance and lightweight buoyancy. Based on publicly available US Army manuals, they were also capable of traversing sand and coral beaches, go off-roading and operate in both arctic and tropic climates. Interestingly, LARCs were not developed as a dive platform, thus it was unable to provide optimal dive support.

LARCs were extensively used during the Vietnam War, as support for logistics and manpower build-up. This involved the shuttling of ammunition, fuel and general supplies. Its amphibious nature allowed the US Army to reduce the dependence on compromised harbours. As the US withdrew from Vietnam, many units were destroyed to prevent the North Vietnamese forces from using them. Post-Vietnam war, LARCs were also deployed elsewhere such as Argentina during the Falklands War, though they are not used as much within the US.

LARCs were powered by a 903 cubic inch (14,798 cc) Cummins V-903C V8 engine, producing 295 horsepower. It could reach a top speed of 30 mph (48 km/h) on land, and 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h) in water. It was 35 ft (10,668 cm) long and 10 ft 2 in (310 cm) tall, with a maximum gross weight of 30,000 pounds (13,607 kg).

About 968 LARCs were made, though it is estimated that less than half still exist. Today, LARCs are still used by Australia (for Antarctic resupply operations and soldier training exercises), the Philippine navy, Portugal and Singapore. Approximately 100 are privately owned and used for tourism such as our Ducktours, though it is believed that the Singapore Army still has a small fleet of LARCs. 

The LARCs that are currently used by Ducktours were made between 1973 to 1977, for use by our army. 7 units were withdrawn between 2000 to 2002 and subsequently converted by VMD Pte Ltd, the first two units entered service in June 2002. It appears that the engine was also changed along with the installation of chairs and canopy: engine capacity was noted to be 9500 cc, with an unladen weight of 10,960 kg and maximum laden weight of 13,140 kg. Only 5 Ducktours LARCs remain as of writing, and all will be deregistered in late 2026. 

I had the opportunity to ride one of the LARCs recently, especially when I knew that they would be deregistered soon. LARC 'Katrina' as indicated was the conveyance for the day; two others were named 'Darlene' and 'Orlene' while the last two had no names. It was surreal to finally ride on this unique classic; incidentally we were allocated to sit right behind the driver. Naturally, the LARC did not have power steering so I was able to see the driver wrestle with the steering wheel when making turns. 

Our tour guide for the day was engaging and the route brought us to the iconic Singapore landmarks. I was mildly surprised to know that there were quite a few locals on board as the ticket was S$53 per person (on weekends). Everyone whipped out their phones to record the moment when the LARC drove into the water and I got slightly wet. We were able to view Gardens by the Bay, the Singapore Flyer, the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands all from the water which was pretty neat. The ride was about 1 hour long and we were sorry to disembark, though we were also starting to get hungry.

The LARC-V plays a special role in our automotive history, especially when it continues to entertain guests despite its rather dated looks. Amphibious vehicles are few and far between, and the Ducktours LARC would be the only way to experience it currently in the civilian setting. It is unfortunate that the LARCs will be replaced, apparently by an electric version from Seahorse Amphibious Vehicles. Hopefully, you will have a chance to take a ride on it soon and feel the unspoken stories of its history!

More than an old car #227: Rover 9

Writing about really old cars pose a set of different challenges for me, as information is not readily available to source from. However, I was still excited to come across this 1925 Rover 9/20 HP in a random industrial estate!

The Rover 9 was introduced in 1924, as a replacement for the Rover 8. It was advertised by Rover as "The Nippy Nine" with emphasis on its water coolant circulated by pump, pressure lubricated engine, 3-speed gearbox and silent rear axle. It was powered by a 1074 cc straight-4 engine, producing 20 brake horsepower (hence its name). Different body styles were available, such as tourers, saloons and coupes with 2 and 4-seat options. There were also different wheelbases between the "Standard", "Deluxe" and "Super" versions; this unit appears to be a Deluxe with a wheelbase of 2515 mm, fitted with a dickey or "mother-in-law" seat at the back.

Production of the Rover 9 ended in 1927 with an estimated 13,000 made, where it was replaced by the Rover 10/25 hp. It is not clear where this car was originally from as it does not have any number plates. The "Four Wheel Brakes" sign is an interesting touch; some cars back then only had brakes on 2 wheels. Interestingly, the 9 was sold in Singapore back in 1925 by Central Motors Limited: a 2-seater tourer retailed at $1,925. 

This car appears to have been here for quite a long time and does not seem to be registered any time soon: most probably it will be for someone's private collection. I am not sure if it will ever go on the road again, but hopefully you will have a chance to see this 100-year old antique!

More than an old car #226: Lotus Elite Type 83

The day started out like an ordinary car exhibition, promising a display of classic cars. It was only when I was there in person that this rather wedge-shaped car caught my eye, even more with its strange number plate unlike the typical UK-style format. After some research, I was pleasantly surprised to behold this 1980 Lotus Elite Type 83 - not quite a family van, but a sports-car with room, and serious character!

In the mid-1970s, Lotus was still best known for cars like the Elan and Europa - lightweight, razor-sharp in handling, but not exactly practical for four people and luggage. Enter the earlier Elite (Type 75) launched in 1974, as a replacement for the ageing Elan Plus 2. Its unique shooting brake body style with a glass rear hatch was the brainchild of the automotive designer Oliver Winterbottom, who took inspiration from the Lamborghini Espada. As a result of the high rear roof, there was space for rear seats.

The Type 75 Elite was available in 4 main variations (501 to 504), set apart by the progressive addition of air-conditioning, power steering and automatic transmission. While the Type 75 was praised for its superb handling and luxurious looks, it was let down by its high price (at one point it was the world's most expensive car with an inline-4 engine) and poor build quality. 

In 1980, the Type 83 was introduced; it was fitted with a larger engine and a galvanised steel chassis, which addressed many of the earlier car’s shortcomings. Its headlights were now electrically-operated compared to vacuum in the Type 75, along with a new rear bumper for a squarish number plate and lights.

The Elite Type 83 was powered by the 2,174 cc Lotus 912 inline-4 engine, allowing the car to reach a top speed of 198 km/h with an acceleration of 8.2 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4458 mm long and 1207 mm high, weighing in at 1,200 kg with a fuel consumption of 11.7 litres / 100 km. 

Production of the Elite ended in 1982, with 2,535 made. Of which, only 133 were the Type 83 with 123 units in RHD. Elites existed in Singapore previously based on newspaper records, but none have remained till today. This particular unit curiously carries French number plates, although it is a RHD model made for the UK market. Decked out in classic British Racing Green, it is a throwback to a time where boundaries were pushed to the limits. Interestingly, an Elite concept was revealed in 2010 where the car was to feature a 5 litre V8 engine, but the project was scrapped in 2012 due to a change in ownership of Lotus's then-parent company Proton.

The Lotus Elite Type 83 might not grab headlines like a mid-80s supercar, and it is not mentioned in the same breath as Lotus' other renowned offerings. nor does it have the instantaneous halo effect of some exotic marques. What it does offer is something rarer: a genuine driver’s car with four seats, built by a marque that knew handling as well as anyone, and done in a body style that dared to be different. While this unit is currently unregistered, hopefully it will go on the roads soon so that you will be able to appreciate its unique beauty!

Miscellaneous classics #12: Iveco Eurotrakker

As a connoisseur of old vehicles, I am always on the lookout for them and coming across this 1996 Iveco Eurotrakker MP380 was entirely accidental, yet intriguing! I had no idea that we still had it here (although registered as a concrete pump), especially since Iveco is not exactly prominent in Asia at least.

Iveco was incorporated on 1 Jan 1975, with the merger of five different brands: FIAT Veicoli Industriali (with headquarters in Turin), OM (Brescia, Italy), Lancia Veicoli Speciali (Italy), Unic (France), and Magirus-Deutz (Germany). It is an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation. Numerous vehicles were sold under the Iveco brand with almost 600 versions in 1979. In 1986, Iveco entered into a joint venture with Ford of Europe's truck division and also purchased 60% control of Spanish industrial company ENASA in 1990, which owned the industrial vehicle builder Pegaso. Iveco trucks continue to be made today; although it maintains a presence in Singapore, it does not have much brand recognition here.

First introduced in 1993, the Eurotrakker was the successor to the Iveco 330 model. It was well-suited for off-road conditions where standard road trucks would struggle, such as in construction sites, quarries, and heavy transport applications where reliability was paramount. As it was designed for worldwide sales, the Eurotrakker was made in both LHD and RHD configurations. Stylistically, the front grille recalled the family look of the Iveco range of the time and was similar to the Eurotech road model from which it inherited the cabin and some mechanical components. 

It had a facelift in 2000 and an automatic transmission was introduced in 2001. This unit was powered by a 13,798 cc Fiat 8210 inline-6 engine, making 380 horsepower. It weighed 28,120 kg unladen with a maximum laden weight of 38,000 kg.

Production of the Eurotrakker ended in 2004 where it was replaced by the ongoing Trakker model. Interestingly, this unit has been registered under the restricted usage scheme as a concrete pump, although it would not have made much of a difference if it had not been registered; it has to be towed at all times when traveling on the roads. On the other hand, there is no lifespan restriction unlike regular commercial vehicles and it is exempted from road tax as well. I am aware of another unregistered Eurotrakker but I am not sure what happened to it currently.

Based on old newspaper records, Zenith Engineering Pte Ltd was the distributor of Iveco products in 1981, although it is unclear how this unit was brought in. Champion Motors Pte Ltd was also noted to be the distributor of the Iveco Daily range of vans, though old advertisements did not make reference to Iveco trucks being sold on the second-hand market. Regardless of the lack of information for old Iveco trucks, seeing this unusual relic is always a treat and I hope you may catch a glimpse of it some day!

  

More than an old car #225: Chevrolet Optra

 

The beauty of car spotting on the road is that you never know what is going to appear next. I was just walking along the road when I spied a rather unique-looking grille on a car some distance away. Upon drawing closer, it suddenly hit me that I was laying my eyes on a relic that I didn't know still survived today, namely the pre-facelift 2003 Chevrolet Optra!

 

Originally sold as the Daewoo Lacetti in its native Korea, it was developed based on its predecessor Nubira before it was acquired by GM. GM Korea launched the car in 2002, with styling done by Pininfarina. Its name is derived from the Latin "lacertus", meaning "youthful". Subsequently, it began to be sold in worldwide markets, under various names like Buick Excelle in China, Holden Viva in Australia and Chevrolet Optra in the Americas, India and Southeast Asia. Cars in Southeast Asia are assembled in Thailand.

 

A hatchback and station wagon version were subsequently released in 2003 and 2004 respectively. There was also a facelift in 2004, where the three-slot grille was changed to a single grille featuring a horizontal bar. There was also another facelift in 2007 where the sedan received the same front end as the hatchback featured since its debut. The Optra was powered by a 1598cc GM E-TEC II inline-4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 172 km/h with an acceleration of 12.5 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4500 mm long and weighed 1,240 kg, with a fuel consumption of 15.8 km/litre.

 

 

 

First and second facelift 

 

Production of the Optra ended around 2009 where it was replaced by the Cruze, though badge-engineered versions continued to be made up till 2024! Optras were first sold in Singapore in 2003 by Starsauto Pte Ltd, where it retailed for $74,988 with COE. Local reviews noted its relatively bigger size and thoughtful features like air-con glove compartment and front-seat shopping hooks, though it could get bouncy at low speeds. Interestingly, an Optra was won as a lucky draw prize as part of the Sentosa Island Mega Saver package in 2004!

 

While we still have quite a few of the facelifted Optras around, I had a soft spot for this pre-facelift model with the three grilles as my uncle used to own one. Seeing this survivor was surreal and naturally I made a run to the junction where it had mercifully stopped. Almost immediately, it drove away but I managed to preserve its existence in these two pictures. After researching a bit more, I realised that this manual pre-facelift unit is most likely the last one in the country; the vast majority were sold with automatic transmissions and other manual units in the market are the facelifted versions. 

 

I still cannot believe that my accidental sight of this car unlocked various childhood memories, and knowing that it was in the more rare manual transmission made it a lot special. It seems that this unit will be around for some time, hopefully you'll be able to catch a sight of it soon!  

 

More than an old car #224: Mazda RX2

 

Back then when I had more time, I often went to various car workshops around the country to just see what cool cars were there (which also makes up the majority of my content). Some places are relatively far, so I would not specifically make my way down unless I felt like it. It was one of those random days where I just decided to pop by, when I saw this rather curious 1972 Mazda RX2 being worked on. Initially, I did not recognise what it was but after doing a quick check, I realised it was a unicorn finding!

First introduced as the Mazda Capella, the car was positioned as an intermediate alternative to the smaller Familia and the larger Luce. Its name was derived from the eponymous star, which is the brightest in the constellation Auriga. The Capella originally featured rectangular headlights while rotary-powered versions were fitted with twin headlamps from 1971; rotary cars were sold as Mazda RX2 for export markets. 

Interestingly, the Capella was also assembled in New Zealand and South Africa, where the rotary cars became more popular than its non-rotary siblings. It was also a major component of Mazda's US expansion in 1971, but only the rotary version remained federalised (i.e. made legal) for 1973.

The RX2 was powered by a 1146cc Wankel 12A rotary engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 182 km/h with an acceleration of 9.4 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4210 mm long and weighed 1015 kg, with a relatively thirsty fuel consumption of 15.9 litres / 100 km.

Production of the 1st-generation Capella ended in 1974 with about 116,000 made, where it was succeeded by the CB series. Certain literature consider the 1st-generation Capella to include the CB series, though other make a distinction. This particular unit was imported from the UK, where it was noted to be a barn find that had not moved since the 1980s. It was sold on eBay for 3500 pounds in 2012 and subsequently brought in, though it had not been seen in public until I came across it by chance! RX2s were not widely sold in the UK back then, making its existence really curious. Even in Singapore, they did not appear to have been brought in officially though a few were noted to have existed based on newspaper ads.

Cars back then were really made different, as seen in the level of details. I had not noticed the gold pinstripes only after I took the pictures, and it was a nice touch amidst the car's general run-down condition. The road tax disc was last updated in Oct 1977, which would mean this unit has been off the road for decades! The bigger mystery would be how this was found and brought into Singapore, especially when maintenance would not be straightforward. In any case, it has yet to be registered but I hope you may be able to see this rarity on the roads some day!

More than an old car #223: Toyota Prius (XW10)

Hybrid vehicles have become so mainstream today that it is hard to visualise how it stormed to the forefront. Over the course of automotive history, there were various attempts to create vehicles with hybrid technology, but ensuring it was mass market was a whole set of challenges. It was only until Toyota's brightest minds pooled together to create a revolutionary car, of which the 2003 Toyota Prius XW10 is a testimony!

The Prius began life as a concept vehicle, where it was first exhibited at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show; it featured the Toyota EMS (Energy Management System) drivetrain for the purpose of fuel-efficient driving. Environmentally friendly features included electric power steering, low rolling resistance tires and side moldings made from coloured resin.

It was subsequently released in 1997 as the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, under model code NHW10. The front grille and bonnet were seamlessly connected (a rare feature at the time), which helped to reduce air resistance. In addition, it was easy to get in and out of the car while making effective use of the interior space, which was an innovative package for a sedan at the time.

In 2001, it was upgraded with a more efficient hybrid engine and cosmetic additions for the export market such as a rear spoiler, along with a model redesignation to NHW11. NHW11 models were powered by a 1497 cc 1NZ-FXE i4 hybrid engine and fitted with the Toyota Hybrid System hybrid drivetrain technology (now known as Hybrid Synergy Drive). Essentially, an electric motor was mated to a conventional engine, which would kick in to provide more power when accelerating. This allowed the car to reach a top speed of 130 km/h with an acceleration of 13.4 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4315 mm long and weighed 1265 kg, with a very good effective range of 18.5 km / litre.

Production of the 1st-generation Prius ended in 2003, where it was replaced by the more renowned XW20 series. The Prius XW10 was first unveiled in Singapore in 1999, and was officially sold here in 2001 by Toyota dealer Borneo Motors at a retail price of $128,988. Local reviews praised its fuel efficiency but noted that its prohibitively high price would only appeal to those who wished to make a statement. 

This unit is believed to be 1 of 2 remaining here, where the other one is actually used by our police force as a patrol car! It was most likely imported from the UK, due to the rear spoiler and chassis number designation. At some point in time, this Prius began to see usage as a private hire vehicle; I have seen it being used to drop off passengers. Although the Prius XW10 is not what people would imagine an iconic car to be like, it paved the way for others to fly. Who knows, perhaps you may be lucky to catch a ride in this unique piece of history one day!