In October of 1929, the Army returned with an order for eight more cars - three Mk II models, three Mk IIA CV models, and a D1E3 and D1E4 training vehicle. Four additional Mk II cars followed in July of 1931 while 1932 saw three more Mk IIA CV cars arrive. Mk IIs used single-tired rear axles (as opposed to the Mk 1s double-tired approach) and a redesigned turret cupola with sloped sides (as opposed to vertical sides seen on the Mk 1).
First deliveries of Lanchester cars were in early 1929 though full unit strength (with the 11th Hussars Regiment) was not reached until 1934. Such cars often replaced what were horse-dominated cavalry forces as global militaries geared up for a new kind of land warfare - mechanized. Lanchester cars then saw service across Germany, Egypt , and Libya.
In practice, the design was appreciated for its reliability and good cross-country performance when compared to the competing Rolls-Royce. However, the type suffered what many armored cars influenced by World War 1 suffered - proving top-heavy, oversized, tall and long making for a slower-than-expected, highly visible target whose chassis was stressed by the weight of the armored superstructure and weaponry. With the adoption of the Morris Light Reconnaissance Car (LRC), Lanchester cars continued in service when they were shipped to the Far East for colonial security. The cars soldiered on into the early years of World War 2 (1939-1945) after which they largely fell away to history - only one having survived to become a museum showpiece (this present at the Bovington Tank Museum UK as of 2015).
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.