Classic for under £10K

[van ordinaire]

Think I only saw B&W photos but I do recall the last batch of A35 vans in the Highlands were fawn with yellow doors, rather than the familiar grey ones.

[CitroJim]

Think I only saw B&W photos but I do recall the last batch of A35 vans in the Highlands were fawn with yellow doors, rather than the familiar grey ones.

That sounds like quite a nice colour scheme Would love to see some colour photos of an example...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Think I only saw B&W photos but I do recall the last batch of A35 vans in the Highlands were fawn with yellow doors, rather than the familiar grey ones.

That sounds like quite a nice colour scheme Would love to see some colour photos of an example...

Can't find a "Highland" Example, but if as a boy you had strayed over into Wiltshire and committed some misdemeanor you may have had a ride home in one of these (yes the real thing not the model!)

From E-bay...Vanguards range Model Cars


Only one colour pic of what is likely to be a replica paint job rather than one of the original vehicles from Emergency Vehicles on-line.....quite a nice gallery of other old police cars there as well.

Wiltshire A35

Gallery of preserved Vehicles

Regards Neil


Regards Neil

[van ordinaire]

Jim, you'd only like the doors.

My memory may well be playing tricks, I do remember those all grey ones up in the highlands seeming very strange to a youngster used to black Wolseleys, but I've been travelling through Wilts. at least twice a year allmy life - so I've certainly seen those and, I mean, did any other force(s) use A35 vans?

[Gibbo2286]

This is an interesting site for liveried vehicles, if you scroll down there are back and forward links to a lot of different company stuff.
https://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/morris/ ... obt-vans/

[CitroJim]

Jim, you'd only like the doors.

You know me too well!!!

Actually, in this case...

Wiltshire A35

Gallery of preserved Vehicles

I really like the A35 on Neil's site above

[NewcastleFalcon]

Lets go one size up to the A40.

Now this variant looks like the Berlingo of its day, and shouts out camping car.

Simon Cars as ever provides the excellent image.

A40 Van Page

"Austin GP4 A40 Countryman. From late 1951 when the GV4 van was introduced, both got a steel rear body (in place of aluminium), and larger rear wheel arches replaced the separate aluminium spats."

image

Regards Neil

[Gibbo2286]

I drove many miles in one of those A40 pick up trucks, the company I worked for when I came out of the army had showrooms in Birmingham Worcester and Hereford, I used to ferry bikes and motor bikes bought in Brum to the other shops, mostly in the evenings after a day in the workshop.

Normal load was either two motorbikes or one motorbike and nine pedal cycles.

[CitroJim]

Normal load was either two motorbikes or one motorbike and nine pedal cycles.

I'll have the nine pedal cycles please

[van ordinaire]

One thing I learned at the NEC this year was that those vans originally had Devon/Dorset grilles.

I remember many years ago someone reminiscing about the pick-up he had as a young builder back in the early '50's - & how he went on honeymoon in it - to Switzerland! I was really impressed by that, it must've been quite an adventure then.

[Gibbo2286]

Our company got into bother over one of the Devon saloons, the buyer found out months after he bought it that it was a van written off and rebuilt as a saloon, there was nothing wrong with it as a vehicle it was probably better than most but he was really p'd off and kept bringing it back for dodgy guarantee claims.

We were very careful after that to go into deep detail before buying one in or taking one as a part exchange. The giveaway was that the van had 17 inch wheels the saloon 16 inch and on tight bouncy turns the 17s rubbed the wheel arch.

[van ordinaire]

3 stud wheels too - the only British example I know.

[Gibbo2286]

3 stud wheels too - the only British example I know.

Never on an Austin A40 van ordinaire, now you have me scratching my head trying to think.

[van ordinaire]

Yup, a neighbour had a Devon & when it was dumped (as old cars were then) we went & played in it (as small boys were wont to do) - still have the flying "A" somewhere, I think - & the 2 things that stuck in my mind were the wheels & the "square" instruments!

[NewcastleFalcon]

By no means conclusive proof but The Hillman Tilly like this RAF example may well have had 3-Stud Wheels...

Regards Neil