As the first batch of National Service recruits continue their training, here is a reminder of army service in the past.
The military mechanic shown in this photograph from Al Ittihad newspaper in the 1970s is working on a Dodge Power Wagon, one of the legendary vehicles in the history of the UAE, along with the Land Rover Series 1 and the original Toyota Land Cruiser.
Originally developed from a military truck in 1946, the Power Wagon was initially produced for civilian use and featured four wheel drive and a V8 engine.
That made it particularly suitable for desert driving, especially when fitted with aircraft tires. Its ability to tackled sand dunes made it the natural vehicle for the oil exploration teams of the 1950s. Its popularity may have been enhanced because, unlike the early Land Rovers, some models featured air conditioning. The Power Wagon eventually ceased production in 1981.
There are several examples still to be seen here, including outside the Zayed Centre in Al Bateen.
But for the grandaddy of all Power Wagons, it is necessary to head out to the Emirates National Auto Museum on the road to Liwa Oasis. Here are several real Power Wagons, but also an exact replica, but eight time the size, commissioned by the museum’s owner, Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. Features of this Power Wagon are said to include four air conditioned bedrooms and a patio in the truck bed.
At 64 times the size of the real truck, Sheikh Hamad’s version would regard the typical desert sand dune as nothing worse than a speed bump.
* James Langton
