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Builder Peter Grieve has fitted a Rolls-Royce Meteorite V8, originally designed for the Mighty Antar tank transporter, into a 1956 Land Rover Series I. The twin-turbo engine is said to produce 1,080 horsepower, but the featured dyno session stopped after cooling problems and did not establish that figure under test.
Builder Peter Grieve has installed a twin-turbocharged, 18-liter Rolls-Royce Meteorite V8 in a 1956 Land Rover Series I, and a video from Practical Performance Car shows the unusual vehicle undergoing a dyno test. The engine is reported to be capable of 1,080 horsepower, but cooling trouble cut short the session, so the footage does not confirm that output.
The engine was originally developed for the Mighty Antar tank transporter, which entered service in the early 1950s and remained in use into the 1980s, according to The Drive’s report. The Meteorite is an 18-liter V8 derived from Rolls-Royce’s 27-liter Meteor tank V12. In the Practical Performance Car video, presenter Will says the V8 shared many components with the Meteor, helping simplify parts supply for the vehicles that used the engines.
Fitting the large powerplant into a Series I required changes to its layout. Grieve engineered a new way to drive the camshaft because the original assembly at the rear of the Meteor engine was too large for the Land Rover installation. The V8 also received electronic fuel injection and twin turbochargers concealed in the front wings. The report says the engine can reach 1,080 horsepower with 15 pounds of boost; during the filmed test, it was running at about half that boost.
During the dyno session, Grieve adjusted fuel pressure and changed exhaust plugs after the engine began running unevenly. On the following attempt, the cooling system failed to keep the engine temperature under control, with coolant instead spilling into the garage. The video ends without a completed run or a final power reading. The source describes the Land Rover as road-drivable, but does not provide details about its registration, road testing or performance on public roads.
A Tank Engine in a Series I
The conversion brings together two very different chapters of British engineering: the early Land Rover, designed as a practical utility vehicle, and a Rolls-Royce engine intended for a heavy military transporter. The scale of the swap is striking: the source says a new Series I originally used a 1.6- or 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing about 50 horsepower, while Grieve’s engine is described as an 18-liter twin-turbo V8.
For enthusiasts, the project is also a demonstration of the engineering needed to adapt a large, historically significant engine to a much smaller vehicle. The dyno footage documents some of that work, but it also shows why the reported power figure should be treated as a stated capability, not a result verified by this test. Until the cooling system is sorted and a complete run is recorded, the vehicle’s measured output remains unknown.
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From Antar to Land Rover
The Meteorite name reflects the engine’s lineage. As summarized in The Drive’s account, it was developed from the larger Rolls-Royce Meteor V12, which itself was based on the Merlin aircraft engine. The V8 was built for the Mighty Antar, a transporter used to move tanks and other heavy loads. Its shared parts with the Meteor were a practical feature for maintaining military equipment, according to Will of Practical Performance Car.
The 1956 vehicle belongs to the Land Rover Series I generation. The Drive contrasts the Meteorite installation with the modest four-cylinder engines fitted to Series I models when new. Grieve’s build is not presented as a production Land Rover configuration: it is a substantial custom conversion, including changes to the camshaft drive, fuel system, turbo installation and cooling arrangements.
“The twin-turbocharged V8 is described as capable of 1,080 horsepower with 15 pounds of boost.”
— The Drive, reporting on the stated engine specification
Power Figure Still Untested
The video does not show a completed dyno pull, and no measured horsepower or torque result is provided. The 1,080-horsepower figure is presented as the engine’s capability at 15 pounds of boost, while the filmed run used about half that boost. The source does not specify the exact boost level during each attempt or give a verified output for the setup shown.
It is also unclear how much work the cooling system needs, whether the vehicle has completed subsequent tests, or what practical limits apply to driving it on public roads. The report offers no independent inspection or documentation of the vehicle’s road status.
Cooling Repairs Before Another Run
The immediate next step is to address the cooling problem that stopped the dyno session. The supplied report does not give a date for another test or confirm that repairs have been completed. A future full-power run would be needed to establish a measured output and show whether the vehicle can sustain it without overheating.
The Drive’s account looks ahead to a possible run on a drag strip, but presents that as a hope rather than a scheduled event. Until Grieve or the video’s publishers share further results, the confirmed record is limited to the engine installation and the incomplete dyno attempt.
Key Questions
What engine is in Peter Grieve’s Land Rover?
It is an 18-liter Rolls-Royce Meteorite V8, an engine originally intended for the Mighty Antar tank transporter. The Land Rover installation adds electronic fuel injection and twin turbochargers.
How much power does the Land Rover make?
The report says the engine can produce 1,080 horsepower with 15 pounds of boost. The dyno session shown did not finish, so that figure is not confirmed by a completed test in the supplied footage.
Why did the dyno test stop?
The engine first ran unevenly, prompting Grieve to adjust fuel pressure and change exhaust plugs. On a later attempt, the cooling system failed to control the temperature, ending the session before a final reading.
Was the Meteorite engine designed for a Land Rover?
No. The Meteorite was developed for the Mighty Antar tank transporter. Grieve adapted it for the 1956 Series I, including engineering a new camshaft drive to make the large engine fit.
Source: thedrive.com
