That Time British Special Forces Thought Pink Was Good Camouflage

Pink, cause you are so very.

Pink it’s the color of ~~passion~~ the Land Rover model the British Army’s Special Air Service (SAS) used to use to fight in the desert in the late ’60s.

Weird right? But true.

The Series 2A SAS Land Rover Pink Panther being sold by P.A Blanchard & Co. (P.A Blanchard)

In order to aid their military operations in Oman in the 1960s, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) purchased 72 Land Rover Series 2A models so they could be outfitted for use by the SAS.

Then, the MOD contracted with the Marshalls of Cambridge in 1968 to have the fleet of vehicles, which were meant for long-distance reconnaissance and special operation missions, to get the Series 2A models set for desert duties.

The Series 2A SAS Land Rover Pink Panther had desert duties. (P.A Blanchard)

To do it, Marshalls of Cambridge beefed up the Land Rovers with extra goodies like additional fuel tanks, smoke grenade launchers, radios, a general-purpose machine gun, an anti-tank weapon, flare guns, axle guards, search lamps, blackout lamps, and upgraded navigation equipment.

Now, when fully loaded with fuel, weaponry and all the additional desert-specific gear, the Series 2A units weighed more than 6,600 pounds. And that’s despite being stripped of doors, windshields, and a roof.

Fully loaded, the Series 2A SAS Land Rover Pink Panther weighed 6,600 pounds. (P.A Blanchard)

After stripping the Series 2A models down to steel tacks and loading ’em up with gear, Marshalls of Cambridge undertook the operation which earned the so-called “Pink Panthers” their stripes, er, name.

Since SAS forces had determined pink paint was highly effective desert camouflage, especially at dawn and dusk, Marshalls of Cambridge got rid of the standard bronze green paint scheme the Series 2A models were originally decked out in and replaced it with pink.