Van-Tastic Four
Pint-sized commercials go head to head in our alternative two-seater battle.
The height of the A35 gives it a surprisingly versatile load bay
amount of goods reliably and cheaply, the sheer number of fleet customers who favoured the Bedford are a testament to its durability. The suspension will not guarantee a smooth ride and the thick pillars mean you peer out of the windscreen, but the sound of that once-familiar transmission whine from the 1256cc engine – fitted to HA Vans from 1972 onwards – will take many readers back to the time when every British Rail depot, Gas Board Engineer or Co- Op Despatch Centre had their own fleet of liveried Bedfords.
Period charm
Another small British commercial that seemed faintly out of time towards the end of its life was the Austin A35 Van. The saloon was phased out in favour of the A40 Farina in 1959, but the utility version continued in production until 1968. The Austin-badged Minivan may have debuted in 1961, but the British Motor Corporation shrewdly kept the A35 in production, in order to appeal to tradesmen who regarded Issigonis’ innovations with a degree of suspicion.
Forty-six years later, the Austin’s detailing continues to charm; pre-1963 vans are fitted with trafficators controlled by a hook like dashboard lever and all A35 commercials have a roof mounted vent and the ‘orange segment’ speedometer. There are also counterbalanced window glasses, which larger drivers will prefer to keep lowered, as the A35 is not widest of vehicles. However, its height gives it a surprisingly versatile load bay – it offers 60 cu ft of space – and although the Austin was available with several version of the A-series engine during its lifetime,
each of them is great fun to drive. James Hunt famously favoured an 848cc version, while our 1960 version is powered by the 948cc engine used in all A35s made between 1956 and 1962, giving a combination of handsome looks and spiffing road manners. As for the front cabin, sizable occupants soon learn the art of breathing in.
Familiar face
The A35’s nearest rival – both in terms of market sector and within the BMC empire – was, of course, the Morris Minor, a van that abides in the public memory. Part of this is due to its longevity, for the Minor was made for nineteen years until the Marina replaced it in 1972, but the main reason is Morris’ status in post-war British culture. Even more than in the Bedford and the Austin, every detail of the Minor Van, from the ‘M’ logo in the steering wheel hub to the flashing indicator stalk and the plunger-like windscreen washer control, has the power to transport the passenger across the decades. Well into the 1980s, every High Street contained at least one greengrocer’s Minor delivery van, usually driven by a grumpy bloke who smoked Woodbines and wore a stylish brown shop coat.
As with the post-1962 saloons, our van is powered by the 1098cc A-series engine and, although this does not guarantee blistering
The Minor has the power to transport the passenger across the decades
performance, the fact that you still see Morris vans on the A-roads and motorways of 2014 is a testament to the soundness of its basic concept. The Minor offers a sizeable load bay, decent handling and road holding and the chance to drive one of the very few vehicles that can be fairly described as ‘iconic’.
Continental choice
These three vans are so much a part of the landscape of a bygone England that they could’ve stepped straight out of a Rank Look at Life travelogue, but our last vehicle is one that belongs in a Jacques Tati film. The Citroën 2CV Fourgonette debuted in 1950, with Slough assembly for the British market commencing in 1954, but UK sales were so poor that the British market Deux Chevaux vanished in 1960. Many British motorists regarded the 2CV as a French oddity on a par with Johnny Hallyday records and official imports wouldn’t commence until a new generation discovered the Citroën’s virtues in the aftermath of the 1973 Fuel Crisis.
But on the Continent the van was a ubiquitous sight and our 1966 example is reminder of how UK drivers were deprived of one of the great light commercials. The early
Fourgonettes boasted a 375cc engine, replaced in 1955 by the (marginally) more powerful 425cc unit. The basic AZU van was augmented by the AK350 in 1962, giving a 2CV aimed at the press-on boulanger or champignonniste, offering the tempting blend of a longer wheelbase with the suspension, chassis and, best of all, the 602cc M4 engine from the Ami 6. Our example is a Belgianbuilt model, identifiable via its front indicators; French 2CVs would not be so equipped until 1970.
In terms of luxury, the Citroën’s interior may initially make the Bedford seem like a Rolls-Royce, but the seats are comfortable, there is enough headroom for a driver to wear a hat, the ‘air-conditioning’ flap beneath the windshield keeps you in contact with nature and the load bay is amazingly capacious. The cornering appearance may look dramatic, but the steering is light and the brilliantly precise dashboard gearchange takes very little time to become acclimatised to. When you add in suspension that will allow you to carry a consignment of eggs over a ploughed field without them becoming scrambled into the equation, the 2CV starts to make a good deal of sense.
So – which van will inspire me to don a brown shop coat of my own?
Thanks to
Everyone at Brooklands Museum.
www.brooklandsmuseum.com