Brown Davis Turns 40

A Bunch Of Legendary Off-road Brands Head To The High Country To Celebrate Four Decades Of Brown Davis, As Well As The Strong Ties That Bind Them All Together.

- Justin Walker

A 40TH BIRTHDAY is always a big occasion, so it’s only fitting that Aussie long-range fuel tank manufacturer, Brown Davis, made sure it celebrated its own four decades of business in true off-road style, with a High Country weekend away. Cameron Brown and his dad (and founder) David didn’t want to keep it a private affair, though, inviting a slew of industry mates to the party. Piranha Off Road’s Al Johnson drew on his decades of Victorian High Country touring experience to lead the convoy of vehicles including Piranha Off Road, Lightforce, TJM and more.

The vehicles on the trip were a mix of new and old, with the old represented by Al’s 60 Series Land Cruiser and the Brown Davis 1978 FJ40 Land Cruiser short-wheelbase rig. A heavily modified Cruiser that, like the company, was celebrating its 40th birthday as well.

AN ICON’S TAKE ON AN ICON

THE IDEA behind the reborn SWB FJ40 was to bring the old days back to life, according to Cameron, and it also worked as a great synergy in terms of two 40-year-olds celebrating a shared birthday, as Cameron explains.

“The old man started in 1978,” he says. “I like the vehicles, the Cruiser is 40 years old, we’re 40 years old – it just made sense.”

The FJ40 is slightly less of a ‘shorty’ than in its original form – the wheelbase has been extended by 200mm – while lurking underneath the bonnet is a Chevy 350 V8 petrol donk. Harnessing all this grunt and getting it to the ground is a 75 Series Cruiser five-speed gearbox (with custom cross-member), mated to the engine via a Marks Adaptors kit. Also included is a heavy-duty clutch and a 60 Series master cylinder. Ensuring the oomph doesn’t cause any dramas