Mystery Hillman van

[FredTransit]

 

only 60000 on the clock and 3 stud! and semi-phores (i cant spell) and it a crew cab lol

 

Anybody know what this is? It's a barn find posted on another forum I am on.

[dollywobbler]

Cripes, what a find! Got the original link? Suicide doors front and rear - GR8 4 FALLIN OUT!

[binhoker668]

God, I dunno - and normally vehicles of this age don't move me THAT much - but jaysis - that's a real beauty. Lovin those suicide doors too.Want.

[VWPowered]

wow what a find, it IS going to be recommissioned yes, tis a thing of weird beauty, but would of thought there wont be another like it

[michiel]

Mass suicide doors? Very cool van!

[bigstraight6]

That's a real oddity! wonder what it started out as? a saloon car or pickup that was 'altered' It's a great find, hopefully it will end up back on the road

[fordnut]

Haven't got a clue - could it be an unusual looking hearse?

[brammy777]

I just did some internet research and theres basically nothing. It does look a bit like this Humber Pullman Hearse though.

 

 

Whatever this van is, it is no doubt ridiculously rare, thats for sure.

[Slaighty]

This is a Hillman Minx Phase III estate.The estate conversion has been done so subtly you can hardly tell from some angles

[trigger]

It would seem to be a very rare late 1940's Hillman Minx Phase III Estate, Found some photo's of another here.

 

http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/2004/09/14/fs_my_

 

http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/2004/09/14/fs_my_

 

It is very nice, Looks a bit like a Allard to me but i do love the rear doors!

 

http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/728/

[KruJoe]

Truly special.

[binhoker668]

And the trafficators. Jaysis - love that technology!!

[AXrescuer]

Another beauty. This site is certainly featuring some cracking cars so far this year!PS, it's semaphore!

[binhoker668]

Another beauty. This site is certainly featuring some cracking cars so far this year!PS, it's semaphore!

Semaphore aye, but known as trafficators for sure!Anyone want a big argument?We could ruin another thread!!

[STUNO]

This is one of the reasons I love this place. A genuine rarity shows up, I think to myself that it must be a one-off and someone posts a pic of another. The red one has to be restored

[seth]

Mega! Surely a purchase tax dodge if ever I've seen one!"Yeah its a van, honest guv.""But what about the extra doors""Oh, well, they're just to help me load the potatoes more easily""And what about all the windows""Oh, well, erm, that gives the potatoes as better view on the way to market"

[Justin Case]

Definitely a Minx of about 46-48; it looks like a factory model *anorak mode* if it was a converted van it would have had a Commer badge on the grill */anorak mode* It's lovely in any case and I hope that it is just recommisioned and not over-restored.

Useless trivia - estate cars of that era for plebs, as opposed to coachbuilt Alvis Woodies for the upper crust, were usually based on vans, although the Jowett Bradford attempt did at least have a chrome grille to distinguish it from its workaday cousins.

[FredTransit]

Thanks for the replies, I will pass them on. I am wondering if the guy that posted it has seen this site, cos he's found out what it is but hasn't said where....

Mega! Surely a purchase tax dodge if ever I've seen one!"Yeah its a van, honest guv.""But what about the extra doors""Oh, well, they're just to help me load the potatoes more easily""And what about all the windows""Oh, well, erm, that gives the potatoes as better view on the way to market"

I could see that happening too, wonder if they had to hide the kids under spud sacks when they went out??

[cedric280]

is it for sale.... to go with my husky minx estate

[FredTransit]

As far as I know it's for sale, but they don't know for how much. Not exactly much to compare it with is there?

[Rusty Pelican]

fab find , id love it if i had somewhere to put it

[trigger]

There are photo's of it on this website as well!, Don't know who they got on there?.

 

http://www.motorbase.com/profiles/vehic ... 1293730942

[furqall]

hello people im the one who took the pictures of the van thanks fred for pointing me to this siteand i put the picture up on the motorbase site if anyone wants anymore details on the van give me a holla.and this forum looks like fun so hopefully i will become a regular.

[Mash]

Sorry to be pedantic but that's a Phase II Minx. I believe these are the rarest of all the pre-series cars being a bit of a stop gap between the warmed over Phase I and the Loewy-inspired Phase III.The van body is a carry-over from the pre-war cars with the new front end stuck on.Rootes anorak back on peg.

[whitevanman]

I'd swap my 73 Cortina GXL for that little puppy...............

[furqall]

Sorry to be pedantic but that's a Phase II Minx. I believe these are the rarest of all the pre-series cars being a bit of a stop gap between the warmed over Phase I and the Loewy-inspired Phase III.The van body is a carry-over from the pre-war cars with the new front end stuck on.Rootes anorak back on peg.

not being funny but the man from the hillman owners club dissagrees with you lol

[wuvvum]

I've just read through this thread again and realised that I haven't said how incredibly cool that Minx is. I would love to own it, but I suspect there are several people in front of me in that queue, most of them probably with more money than me...

[Mash]

Sorry to be pedantic but that's a Phase II Minx. I believe these are the rarest of all the pre-series cars being a bit of a stop gap between the warmed over Phase I and the Loewy-inspired Phase III.

 

The van body is a carry-over from the pre-war cars with the new front end stuck on.

 

Rootes anorak back on peg.

not being funny but the man from the hillman owners club dissagrees with you lol

I'll happily stand corrected but Phase III always meant this one to me:

 

 

Is it like the Japanese practise where the commercials and estates carry on after the new model is introduced then??

[furqall]

that looks like a dinky toy

[mattblack]

An earlier one (based on a wartime Hillman Utility IIRC) in Coventry transport museum...