LEYLAND 15 PICK-UP
Year of manufacture 1964 Recorded mileage 26,227 Asking price £25,500 Vendor Anderson Historic, Woodchurch, Kent; 07899 796515; www.andersonhistoric.com
WHEN IT WAS NEW Price n/a Max power 57.5bhp Max torque 84lb ft 0-60mph n/a Top speed n/a Mpg n/a
I’ve always liked the idea of owning a classic commercial vehicle, and few are as stylish as this fabulous little truck with its cheeky face and bathtub shape, teetering over enclosed wheels. Developed from the long-running Standard Atlas, and introduced following Standard’s absorption by BL, the Leyland 15 is a rare beast – in fact, this particular example is thought to be the last-surviving roadworthy pick-up version from just two years of production, 1964-’65.
“I was going to keep it, but I now have a Fordson E83W van as well,” says vendor Paul Anderson, who bought the Leyland to accompany his 1946 Stampe Biplane. “The pick-up is surprisingly nippy, happy motoring along at 60mph, and parking it is a breeze because you sit beside the engine, directly over the front wheels. I’m hopeful it will be bought and signwritten as a support vehicle for a classic race team – it makes friends wherever it goes.”
Anderson acquired the Leyland at auction in 2019, and prior to that it had been with its previous owner for 12 years. According to the DVLA it was not registered until 1992, but at some point it is thought to have been part of the Thornycroft family collection.
More than £25,000 seems like a lot of cash, even for a vehicle of this rarity, but it’s worth bearing in mind that, as well as period manuals and brochures, the fat history file contains receipts for more than £15k-worth of recent work. Although it was superficially tidy when acquired, the Leyland was far from perfect so Anderson decided to treat the commercial to a comprehensive renovation. That included a smart repaint, a partial retrim, a replacement fuel tank, a rebuilt Solex carburettor, new brakes and various bits of exterior trim. Anderson also made a few sensible modifications, among them adding a temperature gauge, a spin-on oil filter and an electric fuel pump.
The result is a super-looking truck, its Oxford Blue paintwork set off by freshly powder-coated wheels. It has a 15cwt (750kg) payload and plenty of punch from the torquey 1670cc engine – a sleeved-down Standard Vanguard unit, where the bigger Leyland 20 featured the 2138cc Triumph ‘four.’
That could mean there’s potential to create a bit of a sleeper by slotting in a tuned TR4 motor, but with the hard work already having been done I think I’d just enjoy it as it is – a practical little load-lugger that’s as useful as it is stylish, and something completely different to display at local car shows.