Small Vans - favourite?

[pogweasel]

Small vans give me the horn. Big style. I don't know why... maybe it's their usefulness, or the phenomenally high atricion rate owing to their working nature.... does anyone else feel the same, & which (if any) of these gets you moist!?!

 

Bedford HA

 

Ford Escort

 

Marina

 

Chevanne

 

Simca

 

Or something else....???

[mattblack]

Fiat Fiorino (127)... many happy memories of bombing round in one of these (W reg) when I were t'lad... belonged to the garage where I worked. We tidied it up with some new rear arches, riveted on, and brush painted the bottom half. Sadly it sucumbed to that usual fiat malady, rot... one of the track control arms actualy parted company with the chassis while I was going round a corner . It was replaced by a Mini van, which in turn gave way to a Chevanne... aahh, happy days I've always had hankering for an Ital van... am I normal?hhmm, or maybe a Nissan Sunny van... NURSE!! THE SCREENS!!

[reanimation-films]

That wasn't an easy choice at all, went for the HA, even though the marina was flirting with me lots!

[Daniel H]

Tough choice,went for the Marina as the one in the photo looked nice ....

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Fiat Citivan! Anyone got a pic? (NOT YOU PWEASEL!)

[Electric Leyland]

Tough one, but went for the Simca Fourgonette, French tat.Does anyone remember this common sight from the late 70's: "Rediffusion" vans, usually as per the Mk1 Escort van pictured above, painted white and yellow with black lettering/bordering. Not seen one since, but the happy image is still tattooed into my brain.God bless anyone who could source a colour picture of one. The internet does not contain such an image to date. Nor does it have a colour pic of a Roadline lorry (not a model) except the one on A/S. Just one old B&W 60's one. Not massively into commercials but I think either of those would actually beat any sighting of any car.

[Triang]

Difficult, I went for the Escort since I always thought that they were a neat and harmonious design. The Chevanne might have won, but the fact that it was a paneled estate rather than a true van swung it for me.I would seriously go for a early Transit V4 if only because my brother drove one in 1966 and we went on a trip up north as a family in one. I remember how amazing it was then compared to the Commers. J4s and the earlier Ford Thames 15cwts of the time. One thing that really impressed us was how big the wipers were - we had never seen anytning like it! On the way up the M1 it caused a stir as we pulled in to the Blue Boar services, people flocked around it like it was a spaceship or summat - happy days.Apart from that the A60 van and the 50's Hillman Minx based panel van ( NOT the Commer cob though - stunted little runt that was ) were always neat on the lines of the US 'Sedan Deliveries'

[Guest]

...2cv or renault 4 van for me folks...or incredibly rare saab 95 van.....

[Mr H Sceptre]

I must admit I've got a bit off a thing for commercials myself. A very tough choice there. I was very close to agreeing with m'colleague Mr E Leyland with the Simca but in the end went for summat different - said vehicle being a Commer Van. I love them. They are the true Autoshite of the commercial world. A high roof Commer camper van, now thats special.

[Baz]

Renault 4 for me too!

[j-j]

Citroen 2cv van called AK400, if I could get one I'd call it KalashnikovLove the squareness/Anderson shelter/military corrugated rear end and its even slower than 2cv, bitchin'

[Guest]

Ford Pinto van. Man, they couldn't give that thing away; even the US Post Office went for the normal hatchback Pinto.

[Vin]

I love to see old vans, especially as van survival rate is piss poor. Like the Escort van very much but always preferred the Mk 2 van as my jobbing builder Uncle had one in blue in the late 70's/early 80's. Apparently he bought a brand new Moskvich van (never seen one myself) in the early 70's, but he said it was so crap it didn't even make it to it's first MOT!!!!!! Autoshite or what........

 

Also, being a builder, when someone banged into and dented the rear wing of his Ford Anglia, he repaired it by hammering six inch nails into the bodywork and then he plastered it, with a coat of dulux to finish

 

I voted for something else though, the Fiat 900T Citivan

 

 

A 1978 right hand drive panel van, the same as the red one in the picture, but in turqouise, is the current project in my garage being restored

 

Should be finished next year hopefully.

 

Vin

[Baz]

I remember those....There used to be a turquoise CAMPER version near us when I was a sprog!!! I found my VW camper too small to be of any use for ACTUAL camping, so f**k knows how one of those (Was it badged as a "Bambino"?) would have accomodated anyone other than a legless dwarf!

[AnthonyG]

I remember those....There used to be a turquoise CAMPER version near us when I was a sprog!!! I found my VW camper too small to be of any use for ACTUAL camping, so f**k knows how one of those (Was it badged as a "Bambino"?) would have accomodated anyone other than a legless dwarf!

I think they called them the 'Amigo'. As in 'friend', hmm...

[Baz]

Yes...That was it....Amigo....Suppose it's a sign of impending old age that my memory is already playing tricks on me!

[AnthonyG]

I voted for the Bedford HA,but I think there should be a honourable mention for the Hillman Imp van - presumably badged as a Commer. It would be been interesting if they styled it like the Fiat Citivan, rather than just a regular Imp with big box from the front seats back, but they probably ran out of money about 1964...And from the US, what about the Chevrolet Corvair van? I remember they did a passenger version called the Greenbriar,but what was the commercial variant called? Were GM inspired enough to name it the Corvan?

[Baz]

Thinking of vans....Or more specifically, pick-ups....Have You ever wondered where Skoda found the inspiration for this?....

 

Skoda Felicia "Fun"

 

TA-DA!!!!!!

 

The Talbot "Wind"

 

O.k, so the Talbot doesn't have the Skoda's clever pop-out rear seat arrangement, but it shows that the idea of a "lifestyle pick-up" wasn't a new one!

[pogweasel]

'Got Wind?'Hahaha.... sorry Would have made a great ad campaign though....

[Triang]

Hmmm. you could make a cheap joke about why Skoda replaced the woman with a bike...Symbolic?

[asn]

saab 95 !http://www.saabklubben.com/arkiv/95/95.shtml

[mouseflakes]

Currently on t'bay...

 

[Triang]

Great colour too...turquoise?

[Baz]

That is Frikkin' GORGEOUS....Was gonna say that it could tempt me away from an R12, but I've just looked, and the starting price is GORGEOUS too....Nice to see though, and a must for any small businessman wiv style....

[Triang]

Wow - obviously well restored - but dunno if a van can justify that sort of money ( my guess is reseve is about £3k ) unless you were a Citroen nut.

 

I like his line ;

 

It is a well known car within the Citroen Car Club and should go to a collector who will appreciate its rarity.

 

Translation - It is well known in the Citroen CC - but nobody wants to pay the price I want for it there.

 

( but then it should go to a collector someone not in the Citroen CC obviously )

[Guest]

Hi!

 

New to this site, and I allready love it!! Do not know if this is the right subject, but this was parked across my house the other day. These are rather rare!!

 

[Baz]

Once quite common here....My Uncle had one....Think most have succumbed to rust, due to the salt & grit that they put on our roads during the winter....

 

....Nicer in my opinion was Daihatsu's similar van, the Hi-Jet 850....Still a rusty nip-truck, but with a lovely 3-Cylinder engine!

 

What about this little baby then....

 

 

.....I remember these from the '70s, but has anyone seen one recently?

[Guest]

Some crackers there, escort is nice , so is marina, when did you last see one of them, not as long ago as the simca, have not seen one of them for about 20 years!!My would have to be the HA, one of the slickest gearbox,s around, had a car , embaresed the hell out of the kids!!! also had a romany camper version, thats different. There a few nutters putting cossie engines in th eescorts, saw an article on a camper with one in!

[Baz]

Even sexier than that GS Van IMHO....

 

 

....Wonder how many of these still exist?

[pompei]

I just love that Daf, but here are a few of my faves:-