When did vans go white

[Asimo]

In the sixties & seventies panel vans like A35s, J4s, Transits and Bedfords came in simple colours, red, navy blue, green, grey etc.

 

Nowadays the vast majority are white, a white van is more common than a silver BMW or black Audi.

What is bugging me is that I can't remember this happening.

When, anyone?

Why?

[320touring]

In the sixties & seventies panel vans like A35s, J4s, Transits and Bedfords came in simple colours, red, navy blue, green, grey etc.

 

Nowadays the vast majority are white, a white van is more common than a silver BMW or black Audi.

What is bugging me is that I can't remember this happening.

When, anyone?

Why?

it happened about the same time as you stopped seeing white dog shit;)

[Junkman]

IMO it's a 90s thing, in particular white vans that are just plain white without any sign writing.

The term "White Van Man" was coined in 1997, by Sarah Kennedy on Radio 2.

Now it looks like they are declining though.

It won't be long until we will hunt the last remaining white van shite.

[barefoot]

Are they not white in readiness for signwriting?

[dollywobbler]

Well, yes, but they were different colours for sign writing back in the 1960s and 1970s. The MkII Escort van was very often white, so I reckon the mid-1970s was when it started to happen, but more so from the mid-1980s.

[cort1977]

Isn't white the cheapest paint colour?   Hence I would say it was when fleets started getting a bit more scientific and some bean counter realised they could save 0.000005463p per mile by having all the vans white.

[Micrashed]

 Sarah Kennedy 

 

Aaaaaah

 

 

Arrrrrrrrrgh.

[RedSparrow]

It's E.T.!

[Station]

Think they were in different colours in the early days as people used to have their van's sign's painted, unlike the horrible vinyl stuff of today.

I really miss those lovely painted signs on the sides of vans. The lettering was always the width of a 2 inch brush.

[Richard]

Isn't white the cheapest paint colour?   Hence I would say it was when fleets started getting a bit more scientific and some bean counter realised they could save 0.000005463p per mile by having all the vans white.

 

I think that's basically it. Vans are appliances and appliances are white. I bet you have to pay extra if you want a Transit in another colour.

 

Signwriting is done with vinyl stickers these days, although that probably means there's slightly less need for them to be white.

[Inspector Morose]

Coaches are mainly white, in fact there is a colour called dealer white. Most liveries are made up with vinyl these days on a white base so it can be removed and, with a quick mop over maybe, it's ready for sale to the next operator and their vinyl livery.

[New POD]

I thought it was a combination of cost and quality.

 

 

Costs less to only paint in one colour, and cheaper if that colour is a plain colour with no laquer.

 

No change over costs.

 

Easier to get an acceptable job, as variation in shade does not result in much change in colour.

 

I put it down to the way big companies finance their purchases (lease) so they are not even rust protected, this saving a few quid.

[Lankytim]

Didn't mega old vans like Minors and A35's come in grey primer and were painted by the customer in whatever colour they wanted?

 

Maybe I dreamt it.

[Inspector Morose]

Yup, that used to be an option.

[mat_the_cat]

they are not even rust protected, this saving a few quid.

 

I had wondered whether vans came with minimal protection, or whether the typical lack of care was the main reason why a 10 year old van is normally a rust bucket. Probably a combination of both.

[Cavcraft]

Easiest colour to paint over, sticker over or (as seems to the case now) lob vinyl wrap on. I think two of the ATS Transit pick-ups I had, and two of the Transits I drove on my last job were white in the door gaps and engine bay, and the outer bodies were yellow. I was quite impressed with the absolute mingebagerry of spraying a brand new van and not being arsed to do the door gaps and engine bay.

[rml2345]

I think some modern coloured vans are still white before paint, so the colour is just a blow over and vinyl signwriting/liveries are very common. Surprised to learn recently that the green bit on City Link vans is vinyl too!

[eddyramrod]

In the 80s I went to work for a veg wholesaler with a fleet of 5 assorted vehicles, all bought at different times. The 1968 Bedford TK was grey, the two Mercs (1978 and 82) were blue and the new 1983 T25 was white... all the original colours, and all properly signwritten. The 1977 T2 had been done up to match the T25 (read bodged) and painted to match, having been yellow. T2 was replaced in 86 by a new T25, white again, and one of the Mercs was repainted to match. White was obviously the future, even back then.

 

I can go further back though, and find colour. I remember my dad buyinga new Anglia van in 1962/3, in Goodwood Green, a colour he liked so much he chose it on the replacement (Corsair 1500.... with two doors!). There was often a van around in my childhood, so I remember grey, powder blue, cream, white, and even another green one.

 

Vans are still available in colour. When my boss was looking seriously at replacing my Relay I picked him up some brochures, all of which had colour charts included. And not just white, silver, black: actual colours. The bakery currently has one white van (mine) and one blue. Neither is signwritten, but he would be having them stickered rather than painted. I spoke to the signmaker who was not overjoyed at the prospect of a dark blue van. So it looks like the move to vinyl signs rather than paint is partly responsible for the prevalence of the white van. I also accept the cost/applianceness arguments, as businesses have to be hard-nosed these days.

[michael1703]

1983 onwards, ford used diamond white on everything, might also tie in with the old bill using white transits,white escort van for dog handlers, white escorts etc

[plasticvandan]

I know that reliant vans up til the robin came in primer,or you could pay extra for paint,this was in the days of coach painters and sign writing.

[JohnDeere]

But Toyota Hiace vans always seem to come in blue - why that one exception?

[jonny69]

Isn't white the cheapest paint colour?   Hence I would say it was when fleets started getting a bit more scientific and some bean counter realised they could save 0.000005463p per mile by having all the vans white.

 

Yes. Ford Diamond White is significantly cheaper than any other colour and it's because it's used in such huge quantities for the commercial vehicle fleet.

[Asimo]

White vans, "silver" gray or black cars and no signpainters.

What a monochrome world we got right now in Autoshiteland.

 

I'd rather see this sort of thingthan this 

 

But I'd rather drive the modern vans for anything other than fun.

[Alexg]

The emergence of vinyl wrapping probably has something to do with it. Many companies will, rather than signwrite, have the whole vehicle wrapped in their corporate colours and logo etc. Then when they're de-fleeted and stripped of their coat they're ready for auction, in boggo cheapskate white.

 

So now we're stuck in the cycle of - Manufacture sells more white vans, they build more white vans. Meaning when Joe plumber orders a new Vivaro he can have the blue he prefered in 4 months, or a white one for £350 less next week. Another white van hits the road.

[Junkman]

What the colour of your car says about you:

 

http://psychicjoanne.hubpages.com/hub/What-the-Colour-of-Your-Car-Says-About-You

[Asimo]

^^^

"People who drive BEIGE cars are often deep-thinkers who spend much of their drive-time mulling over and pondering the world’s worries and wonders"

[rml2345]

What if you drive a car that's three or four colours? Does the purchase of a Polo Harlequin indicate schizophrenia?

[vulgalour]

Yes and no.

[Jon]

Vinyl signs have also replaced a lot of the small independent shop signs, many of which were hand painted or had raised letters - there's a Flickr group dedicated to the latter but I can't remember what the font was called.

 

Much like post-2001 plates, it seems that most modern fonts look terrible. However, I've memories of one company bucking the trend a few years back, with what looked like hand painted vans incorporating a very pleasing font:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/3421597500/in/photolist-a2twk3-bD4ptF-fx6Zw3-6dmzJm

 

Only picture I could find on-line but whilst I never saw a Connect, the larger Transits were a regular feature on the A1 between Scotch Corner and Newcastle. I just hope they're keeping the tradition alive.

[rml2345]

Vinyl signs have also replaced a lot of the small independent shop signs, many of which were hand painted or had raised letters - there's a Flickr group dedicated to the latter but I can't remember what the font was called.

Is that the "Stymie Bold Italic" group? You're right about the shop fronts too. It's increasingly rare to see a hand painted shop front even in quite posh areas.

Some lorry operators still value a hand painted and signwritten livery, although Stobarts moved a few years ago from painting trucks to a vinyl wrap livery that looks crap.