CitroJim wrote: ↑13 Feb 2021, 17:12
Car looks to me like an Austin A40 Somerset but not 100% sure.
The Car NFJ 896 was an Exeter Registration and the series NFJ was used from July 1952 to June 1953.
The number 898 is a consecutive one in the series 1 to 999 so its going to be first registered April-June 1953.
The Austin A40 Somerset was produced between 1952 to 1954 so bang on for the reg number
The big back window gives it away, most cars went that way in about '55/56 which is about when the Mk11 Consul and Zephyr, the Cresta and Velox went the same way. The fords were good but I preferred the Vauxhalls, they had wonderful heaters and I feel the cold.
Watching an episode of Hinterland last evening on Netflix I was delighted to see the Devil's Bridge AA box in a scene where a body was recovered from the river below the bridge... Hinterland was filmed in and around Aberystwyth and the scenery is spectacular Worth watching just for that...
Fascinated to hear how Devil's Bridge got its name and the legend behind it
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
CitroJim wrote: ↑15 Feb 2021, 04:56
I was delighted to see the Devil's Bridge AA box....
To remind ourselves of how FCF member Eifion "claimed" the FCF box at Devils bridge in our Challenge.
Superb photo!
eifion wrote: ↑22 Sep 2018, 21:38
Yup, it's 289 - Devil's Bridge. I would have included my 205 in the picture but when I got there there was an AA-branded Commer Imp van parked in front on it, owned by a man on his own quest to photograph all of the AA boxes, so it seemed more appropriate to photograph that instead.
I had one that colour - hand painted (Tekaloid).
I had to park it round the back of the building I worked in as it was a 'socially unacceptable vehicle)
A PR company so you can imagine what the management were like.
It does look rather nice that Jim. I asked my resident Rootes expert if it had a name as most of their vans did, she tells me they originally were the 'Commer Imp Van' but later became the Hillman imp van. Thought you might like that useless bit of information.
Peter.N. wrote: ↑15 Feb 2021, 17:37
It does look rather nice that Jim. I asked my resident Rootes expert if it had a name as most of their vans did, she tells me they originally were the 'Commer Imp Van' but later became the Hillman imp van. Thought you might like that useless bit of information.
Peter
and I had just finished posting this to add to the info!
CitroJim wrote: ↑15 Feb 2021, 17:04
I do rather like that yellow Imp
The little red strip on the bonnet will say "Commer" Jim, but obviously it's an Imp van branded as Commer.
The imp site has a bit of a piece on them....the manufacturers were described as Commer Cars Ltd., Luton, Bedfordshire.
The van isn't just a windowless estate, it was redesigned - one of the criteria being that it had to be tall enough to transport milkchurns.
and the fact that the Royal Mail regarded them as having too much poke.
British Royal Mail had them tested and they were found to be ideally suitable for the task. The van's fuel consumption met the GPO required standard easily. The high floor made it easy to load heavy items. This would have been a nice chance for the Rootes Group on a long term delivery contract. Alas, the deal was called off as even the smallest 36bhp van engine enticed post officers into joy-riding Royal Mail property. The little vans were much too fast. Considerable restriction was needed in the manifold to bring the performance down to an acceptable level. But GPO kept their doubts and Rootes failed to win the contract.
I bought an ex GPO Morris 1000 van in the '70s - at least I think they were still the GPO then. It had any covered 19,000 miles if I remember correctly, the paint on the floor was still shiny. I paid very little money for it, primarily I think because it had no synchromesh on second gear but apparently that was common. The speed had been restricted by a plate with quite a small hole in it between the carburettor and inlet manifold, presumably because the GPO in their wisdom thought they were to fast. This caused the drivers to run it up to full revs in 1st then crash it into second before they lost the revs.
I went to my local BMC dealer in Axminster and obtained a new 2nd gear, synchro ring and gasket set for the princely sum of £5.00. I removed the restrictor plate of course. Having fitted the parts the van ran beautifully. I resprayed it yellow and white, as I had the previous one I had in kent, found a nice comfortable pair of seats at the breakers, fitted side windows and some sound proofing and carpets.
I ran it for some time until colour TV's came on to the market, I couldn't get many in a van that size so I bought an ex British rail Bedford CA minibus - but that's another story.
Being a postman, Dad drove a GPO Morris 1000 on a daily basis and they were definitely still in service in the 70s.. They were replaced by Bedford HA vans.
I remember well the vans had Yale locks on all the doors and a wicker basket in place of the front passenger seat...
It was strictly forbidden to carry passengers or any non-postal items... That never stopped dad when he was given (or found) something rather desirable during his rounds... Often tasty stuff from the many farms he delivered to
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...