The Hussar APC and Hussar internal security vehicle were originally developed as a private venture by Hotspur Armoured Products of Wales and were shown for the first time at the 1984 British Army Equipment Exhibition.

Following trials with two prototypes, the first export order was placed and, by early 1987, four countries had placed firm orders for the vehicle.

In August 1986, Hotspur Armoured Products became a division of Penman Engineering Limited in Scotland, where the design and manufacturing facility is now located.

Hotspur Armoured Products continues to sell and market wheeled light armoured vehicles but no recent sales figures have been released.

Penman Engineering also designed and built the Tavern 4 × 4 armoured personnel carrier to meet the British Army Staff Requirement (Land) 4037 for an Armoured Patrol Vehicle Mk II for use in Northern Ireland. It is understood that about 105 of these vehicles have been built and are also referred to as the Tavern. These are still held in reserve and have only been deployed to Northern Ireland. Description

The Hussar APC is based on the chassis of the Land Rover One Ten (4 × 4) chassis with an additional powered axle, modified and strengthened to accommodate the weight of the armoured hull.

The Hotspur steel armoured hull, which fully encloses the engine and troop compartment, has been designed to provide ballistic immunity at 25 m at a 90° attack angle from ball ammunition fired from 7.62 mm type weapons and from point-blank attack by lighter weapons such as the 9 mm Sterling SMG, M1 carbine and .44 Magnum. The floor armour protects the crew from anti-personnel mine fragments and grenades.

The engine and transmission are at the front of the vehicle with the troop compartment at the rear. The engine is coupled to a manual transmission and the driver can select either 6 × 6 or 6 × 4 (first and second axles) depending on the terrain encountered.

The commander and driver sit to the rear of the engine with each being provided with a laminated armoured glass windscreen to his front and side with anti-splinter visors of polycarbonate. The visors can be activated from inside the vehicle either manually or electrically. In each side of the hull is a single door that opens to the front. In the upper part of these is a bulletproof vision block with a firing port underneath.

The troop compartment is at the rear of the hull, and the 12 troops sit on individual flip-up seats either side of the hull. They enter via the side doors or the two doors in the hull rear. In each side of the troop compartment are two vision blocks with a firing port underneath and each of the rear doors also has a vision block with a firing port underneath. This allows the crew to use their weapons from within the vehicle. The troop compartment is 3.15 m long, 1.441 m wide and 1.194 m high.

If required, a one-person light-armour turret or a one-person fully rotating machine gun hatch mounting a 7.62 mm machine gun can be fitted to the roof. The basic one-person turret has manual traverse but powered traverse is an option.

Standard equipment for the Hussar includes twin air conditioning system, twin extractor fans, explosion protection system for fuel tanks and armour-protected fuel cap.

Optional equipment for the Hussar includes a more powerful 3.9 litre diesel engine, fully rotating one-man armoured turret with gun mount, electrically operated 66 mm or 76 mm grenade launchers, fully rotating machine gun hatch, fire suppression system, run-flat tyres, searchlights, siren and public address system, armoured louvres over ballistic glass, barricade removal bar on front of hull, 24 V electrical system and various night vision systems. Additional non-metallic passive armour protection to the crew compartment is also available. Variants

Several variants of the Hussar are available, including a field ambulance, an internal security vehicle and a communications/command vehicle.

Production of this vehicle was completed some years ago. It was based on a Land Rover 110 (4 × 4) chassis.

Hotspur Armoured Products can also supply a range of discreetly armoured vehicles based on Land Rover (4 × 4) and Defender (4 × 4) vehicles. The style and comfort of the vehicle is preserved following the fitment of the armoured shell and ballistic glass.

In mid-2005 it was disclosed that various agencies of the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) had been providing a wide range of equipment to assist in the rebuilding of Iraqi security forces, especially in southern Iraq.

A total of 72 Land Rover (4 × 4) Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) have been supplied. The first 17 were flown from RAF Brize Norton early in 2005 and all vehicles have now been delivered.

These vehicles were refurbished by Penman Engineering and were delivered in left-hand drive configuration and fitted with an air-conditioning system for use in the high ambient temperatures of Iraq. They are also provided with flashing lights, sirens, spotlights and communications equipment.