| Imported to the UK in early 1973, it is one of the very first Argocats made and one of only 3 in the country that survive from this era. It is much lighter and more powerful than the later 4-stroke Argos. This is because it was designed during the 70s craze for recreational off-road vehicles (including ATV racing) rather than the later emphasis on more sedate utility ATVs.
The vehicle was used for shooting parties on a Scottish estate, until it sank in the lake on a fishing trip one day! It was abandoned by the owners who returned the following year to tow it out and it survived remarkably unscathed.
The vehicle was then used on a Mid-Wales farm until it my father saw it for sale. On the first test drive the vehicle had no fuel tank connected so the fuel pipes were dipped into a hand-held 5l fuel can. Predictably, a fire ensued! We returned for a test drive months later after the vehicle had been fixed and were treated to a blast across the farmer's fields. We went down into a steep-sided hollow and climbed up the far side, but then a loud bang was heard and the vehicle lost drive. This time, a drive sprocket had sheared on the axle, - not the most auspicious of starts.
My father, bought the vehicle, nevertheless, with the idea of using it transport a portable ski lift (small 4-stroke generator style unit) for Shropshire Ski Club who used fields near the Welsh border. We did an engine out restoration over many years but alas global warming has stopped any snow in Shropshire/Mid-Wales for a decade or more now. The Argo had a few outings in the fields near my house, although as teenagers we lacked the mechanical expertise to iron out its gremlins, and it was an adventure and a liability in equal measure. |
