Commer Express Delivery van: why so rare?
Discussion
Very early Hillman Husky/Commer Cob with side valve engine was an ultra lightweight short wheelbase vehicle popular in 'States a bit like sit-up and beg Ford Popular for sticking-in a V8 and being competitive in drag racing.
Later 50's/early '60's OHV equivalents were longer wheelbase and a fair bit heavier - they still rotted-out the same though!
Later 50's/early '60's OHV equivalents were longer wheelbase and a fair bit heavier - they still rotted-out the same though!
Jukebag said:
Anyone know why Commer Express Delivery Vans from the 1950s (not the camper vans) seem to have become very rare among the classic vans and cars that are still in relatively good numbers today?. They were similar to a Ford Thames van and somewhat similar to a Morris Minor, but where those two are still knocking about (particularly the Minor), the Commer Express vans have pretty much vanished off the face of the earth.
I don't know how popular or common they were back in the 50s and 60s, but my dad owned two during the 60s and knew one or two other people who owned one.
It's ashame very few of them have survived and haven't been preserved by enthusiasts.
Found this one for sale:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C829591
Reminds me of Tom's van in the Father Ted series, or was that a Ford Thames?I don't know how popular or common they were back in the 50s and 60s, but my dad owned two during the 60s and knew one or two other people who owned one.
It's ashame very few of them have survived and haven't been preserved by enthusiasts.
Found this one for sale:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C829591
RDMcG said:
Yes..column gear change in any one I have seen. Strangely, in those days a conventional floor mounted change was often regarded as old fashioned compared to the wonderful column change which left more space in the car. It was of course a fairly vague experience...I drove a few of them in my youngest days..at around 12 or so.My uncle had a Husky in Ireland...I can even recall the number plate ZY 877.
My first ca was a 1954 Hillman Minx saloon, very similar to the Husky estate illustration SantaBarbara said:
TonyRPH said:
I had never heard or seen that one before.
When I hear the words 'Commer van' this is the first image that enters my mind.
I seem to recall seeing loads of these around in the late 70's.
That vehicle illustrated has an L suffix. So what year was it first registered?When I hear the words 'Commer van' this is the first image that enters my mind.
I seem to recall seeing loads of these around in the late 70's.
hidetheelephants said:
SantaBarbara said:
TonyRPH said:
I had never heard or seen that one before.
When I hear the words 'Commer van' this is the first image that enters my mind.
I seem to recall seeing loads of these around in the late 70's.
That vehicle illustrated has an L suffix. So what year was it first registered?When I hear the words 'Commer van' this is the first image that enters my mind.
I seem to recall seeing loads of these around in the late 70's.
PistonBroker said:
SantaBarbara said:
That vehicle illustrated has an L suffix. So what year was it first registered?
It was registered 1/3/73. More interesting to me is that it has Stourport signwritten on it. The nearest town to where I grew up.
hidetheelephants said:
1970, or is this a trick question and I'm due a parrot?
As per PistonBroker - March 1973
I worked for a car hire firm in the 70's and we had a load of comer vans, they were a good solid workhorse.
They handled like crap as the front suspension was narrow and the back end unladen was always trying to lift of the floor.
The hand brake worked on the front wheels so you could do a burnout easily.
They are quite trendy now as an alternative to the VW vans especially the camper conversions.
They handled like crap as the front suspension was narrow and the back end unladen was always trying to lift of the floor.
The hand brake worked on the front wheels so you could do a burnout easily.
They are quite trendy now as an alternative to the VW vans especially the camper conversions.
My parents had a Husky from new in 1961 to 1968. Apart from my dad using it for work and my mother eventually learning to drive in it, we went lots of holidays to the Lake District in it. It was a pretty Spartan vehicle and not that comfortable in the back for my sister and self. It had a conventional floor change and minimal instrumentation augmented by a Smith's oil pressure gauge fitted by dad. It was TWG 915. It was reliable as I recollect, being stopped with a dud condenser and the odd failure of the dog for the starting handle - dad used the handle in cold weather ant the dog stripped its thread thankfully leaving the crank thread undamaged!
spaximus said:
I worked for a car hire firm in the 70's and we had a load of comer vans, they were a good solid workhorse.
They handled like crap as the front suspension was narrow and the back end unladen was always trying to lift of the floor.
The hand brake worked on the front wheels so you could do a burnout easily.
They are quite trendy now as an alternative to the VW vans especially the camper conversions.
As others have mentioned when hitting the brakes for the first couple of times after they had been parked for a few days they could lift the rear wheels off the deck .They handled like crap as the front suspension was narrow and the back end unladen was always trying to lift of the floor.
The hand brake worked on the front wheels so you could do a burnout easily.
They are quite trendy now as an alternative to the VW vans especially the camper conversions.
Caused by the handbrake leaving substance on the drums and in extreme cases making the drums oval.
The other danger for the unwary was getting reverse when going for fourth , if you were brutal it would split the gearbox.
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