Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

I am old enough to remember when Morris Minor Post Office/Royal Mail vans looked like this :

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I thought they looked hideous with the heavy duty rubber front wings at the time but the abuse that Royal Mail vans suffered in a rural area was soon apparent when the local Royal Mail delivery office were given steel winged vans. The only one which was undamaged was that used by the senior Postman who "did" deliveries only in the village.

I didn't know until recently that there were no MM series commercials and production only started with the 803cc A Series engined versions.
I drove many Morris Minors, the cars never appealed to me but for some reason I liked the van versions. Perhaps it was the gearing being different that I liked.
I did not drive an 803cc version but two 948cc and three 1098cc. The last one I drove belonged to a friend next door, a grey 1971 J registered example which was rated at 8 cwt. The rear end tended to be bouncy unladen.

Our local milkman had three pick up versions in succession, part exchanging the remains of the old against a new one every three years. He had only one eye and each one was a battered wreck at three years old. He bought Toyota Hi Ace pick ups thereafter. They fared no better.

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Production of the commercial versions, Austin and Morris continued until 1972 although the last Royal Mail ones around here were H registered.
I would like to have a drive in a pick up some day, this being the only version I did not experience.

There are tales such as this in every part of the country. In a farm locally there is rumoured to be a J registered Austin 6cwt pick up, canvas tilted with delivery mileage only. It's original owner passed away mere days after taking possession and his son has kept it unused since.
The story may be true.

Have any of you experienced a Minor Commercial and what are your opinions of them?[/img]
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Rootes75]

When my father ran tipper lorries when I was younger he had a 'K' reg Minor van to go to and from the quarry etc. It was useful in the fact it could get a couple lorry tyres in the back whereas his previous van a Mini it was always a bit of a struggle.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[clan chieftain]

I used to work on them years ago when I was a mechanic with the Post Office. The JB and JR had rubber wings as well.
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The Clan Chieftain