The FV601 Saladin wheeled armored vehicle, designed by Alvis Car and Engineering Company, was meant to replace the AEC Armoured Car. Work started in 1946, but the practical stage did not begin until the first half of the 1950s. The vehicle's distinctive features were its chassis with 6x6 wheel configuration and its outrigger suspension. The first two prototypes of the FV 601 (B) were produced in 1955. Two years later, a total of six pilot armored vehicles were built, and in 1958, mass production was launched. The armored vehicle was produced until 1972, most often in the Saladin Mk. 2 modification. A total of 1,177 vehicles were built. The vehicle was actively used in the Middle East and Africa.