Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[RotaryBri]

I really fell in love with this one. I could not find the owner so cannot tell you anything about it but is it an Aussie import?




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Keep Torqueing,

RotaryBri

1976 NSU Ro80

[Calum]

Most likely an Aussie import - they only made the pickups for export as far as I know. I am a BIG fan of the V8 Pilot, but this is just a bit *TOO* American for my liking!

[Rick]

I'm not sure that it's an Aussie ute - weren't some Pilot pickups sold in the UK too? I've seen a couple at shows and from memory they were UK vehicles, I think, although the back end on the one below doesn't look very factory-like to me ...



My guess is that the black one has been built up, possibly from a chassis/cab missing a rear end, to look like an American truck. Looks very nice to me

R
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[Rick]

Although saying that I still prefer the look of these, although I'm a little biased admittedly Bedford PC (UK), with Oz "coupe utility" bodywork by Holden:




RJ
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[Roger-hatchy]

I love this one, even with typical handy man load





and how about the 'Air conditioning' between the door hinges.

[Richard H]

The V8 Pilot in the OP looks like an original UK vehicle to me, it has its original Goucestershire registration number, not the age related plate you would expect if it had been imported. Either it's a cut down saloon or an original pickup. I have to say I would be very surprised if that started out life as a saloon, it looks too "factory" for that.

As for pickups..

[Ellis]

Looking at the photo of the Austin A30/35 pick up above, I grew up during the 1960s and I cannot remember ever seeing one then.
There were plenty of the A35 vans which were still made until the mid 1960s or later.
Indeed I remember a fair number of C registration ones around here and many had FK registrations for some reason.

There is in addition one now rare pick up from the 1960s that I do remember and that is the Ford Anglia 105E pick up or rather Thames and there was one in my area for some years.

Does anybody have a photo of one they can show here, please?
I don't know how to paste photos from other forums yet and I don't want to upset somebody by using theirs.
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1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Calum]

[Penman]

Hi
[quote="Calum"]

[exbmc]

I have only ever seen one V8 Pilot pick-up, but am sure it was a UK vehicle.
Like EWG, I remember loads of A35 vans, but have never seen a pick-up.
One company that ran loads of A35 vans, was GUS transport. (Great universal stores) They were mostly blue, and I cannot remember a sign written one of theirs. There seemed to be two or three in every day, for service, or seized up rear brakes!!

[Phill]

The V8 Pilot was available with a factory made cab or a bonnet/windscreen. Both versions were available in the UK. The first one above is the original factory cab, the second one is a 'built' cab on a windscreen/bonnet and uses the passenger car doors. The majority went for export, sales in the UK were poor largely due to fuel rationing. The main rivals to the Pilot, the Standard Vanguard and the Austin A70 also came with a factory made pick-up bed as well as being more economical to run. Several pick-ups survive together with a van (that has LH drive), HM the queen has a 'woody' bodied estate preserved at Sandringham. There was also a steel bodied estate available from the factory and I think one survives.