Commer walk-thru vans

[Fat Controller]

Before the Mercedes chassis became pretty much universal, UPS did have some other parcels vans that looked even more like the Walk-thru/BRS 'Noddy' vans.

Din't 'Ironside' use a similar van?

[BernardTPM]

Quite a bit older. 1940 US Ford, apparently.

[Keith George]

Wasn't the Bedford with the Hawson 'Easy Access' body available through Bedford dealers?  As Noddy vans have been mentioned Gloucester BRS had one of the comparatively rare Bedford versions.  At first when I saw it I thought some wag in the depot had put a Bedford badge on a BMC truck.

 

Tony Comber

 

I thought the Bedford Hawson was a excellent van at the time, seemed to be a better drive than the Commer..

 

I drove one for three years, 1966 - 1968.

 

Yes, the handbrake was behind the steering wheel,

 

Keith.

[BernardTPM]

Hawson also built bodies for BMC chassis (e.g. Morris FG), maybe other makes too.

[RANGERS]

Before the Mercedes chassis became pretty much universal, UPS did have some other parcels vans that looked even more like the Walk-thru/BRS 'Noddy' vans.

These are Merc 814s, the body was built on the chassis cowl, the front was also removed on these ones to replicate the style of the vans they use in the US, a practice discontinued on the later ones in order to save cost.

 

When the 814/ 6 chassis ceased production in 2014, UPS moved on to MB Sprinter based vans, lighter in weight and subsequently smaller.

[Merfyn Jones]

Now that the Oxford Walkthru is out, maybe a couple of items to sort on it.

It has a silver stripe above the windscreen which was not on the originals. Easily removed with T-cut.

Registration number is 1966 (D reg.) and should be black plates back then, I have replaced mine. The number is an educated guess as on the original photograph it cannot be read.

Very nice van, a big improvement on the old Efsi model, and stands well alongside the RTI version.

 

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Merfyn,

That looks really good, well done.

My dad bought one of these secondhand in early 1970, he then kitted it out as a "camper" van and for the winter of 1970, we travelled through Europe to Italy where we found it was quite chilly so the following year, in convoy with a couple of other campers, we travelled to Morocco where it was much warmer.

So began my foreign travels, age five!

We continued to do this every winter until about 1982/3 but the Commer had died in 1975, replaced by a Morris.

It must have been one of the more widely travelled ones, I guess.

I think it had been green but dad repainted it white, to reflect the sun.

Cheers,

John.

[PhilJ W]

I compared the Oxford model with an Efsi one, the dimensions and other details such as windows and doors are identical which shows that the Efsi model was very good in its day.

Edited December 13, 2017 by PhilJ W

[BernardTPM]

The Efsi also represented the petrol engined model, hence the different front.

The old Husky model of the diesel version was pretty much right for H0 too.

[The Dorset Wanderer]

Used to drive one of these in Walls livery, sausages,pies and bacon not ice cream, in faded blood and custard.

Princess Annes first hubbies family supplied the pigs!

Steve

 

Http://Dorsetrailwaymodelling.blogspot.com

[Keith George]

Used to drive one of these in Walls livery, sausages,pies and bacon not ice cream, in faded blood and custard.

Princess Annes first hubbies family supplied the pigs!

Steve

 

Http://Dorsetrailwaymodelling.blogspot.com

 

Hello Walls, I spent most of my working life as a Vansalesman for sausage, pies and bacon companies. Four years for C&T Harris of Calne, I passed my driving test on one of their Commer Walkthroughs aged 17 having starting with them as a vanboy (they called it being a apprentice vansalesman .  . Five years for Spear Bros. and Clark, a local Bristol company, twentyfour years for Robirch (sister company to Millers of Poole), then finished up the remainder of my working years working for Bowyers. I really enjoyed the job.

Best wishes, Keith

[Silver Sidelines]

I didn't think there would be so much interest - in a van!

 

Here is another picture of Grandad and his Commer van - you can just about make out the last part of the registration - three numbers (913?)and then the letters 'OFM' (FM for Chester which was not a hundred miles away from where Grandad lived).

 

1963 Tom and JGC (and the Commer Van)

Edited December 13, 2017 by Silver Sidelines

[Merfyn Jones]

I didn't think there would be so much interest - in a van!

 

Here is another picture of Grandad and his Commer van - you can just about make out the last part of the registration - three numbers (913?)and then the letters 'OFM' (FM for Chester which was not a hundred miles away from where Grandad lived).

 

1963 Tom and JGC (and the Commer Van)

 

That is a Commer BF van which was the model that was made before the Walkthru. It dates from 1960, as I owned 904OFM (very close)

[Silver Sidelines]

Amazing - small world - but what describes a 'Walk thru'? Because if you look back up the thread you will see that there is no partition behind the driver's seat and you can walk through into the van body.  In fact that is why Grandad bought it!

.... I owned 904OFM (very close)

Ray

Edited December 14, 2017 by Silver Sidelines

[PhilJ W]

The OFM registrations were issued by Chester Nov. 1951 to May 1952.

[Allegheny1600]

The OFM registrations were issued by Chester Nov. 1951 to May 1952.

Hi Phil,

Fascinating! Where do you find such information, please? I'm trying to find where my dads Morris was registered, RPL 148F but it later became a Q plate (NOT a Q reg!) due to being out of the country for so long.

I think his Commer was UAE or UAR, I remember my older cousin commenting that the Arabs would like the registration letters!

[Silver Sidelines]

Hi Phil

 

Something not right there Phil.  Either my eyes are playing up and it is not OFM or your data does not take account of letters AFTER numbers?

 

The OFM registrations were issued by Chester Nov. 1951 to May 1952.

Grandad's Commer van was not on the road in the early 1950s and it certainly did not have a personalised / transferred number plate.  Grandad wouldn't even pay to have his business name painted on the side let alone fork out for a special registration.

 

Ray

[PatB]

Hi Phil,

Fascinating! Where do you find such information, please? I'm trying to find where my dads Morris was registered, RPL 148F but it later became a Q plate (NOT a Q reg!) due to being out of the country for so long.

I think his Commer was UAE or UAR, I remember my older cousin commenting that the Arabs would like the registration letters!

 

Try here as a start. Scroll down to Pre-2001 Codes. PL would have been Guildford. AE was Bristol and AR would have been Hertfordshire before 1974.

 

Edit: TBH I always thought AE was Gloucester, like the adjacent AD. Maybe it covered the northern bits of the Bristol area.

Edited December 14, 2017 by PatB

[PhilJ W]

Hi Phil,

Fascinating! Where do you find such information, please? I'm trying to find where my dads Morris was registered, RPL 148F but it later became a Q plate (NOT a Q reg!) due to being out of the country for so long.

I think his Commer was UAE or UAR, I remember my older cousin commenting that the Arabs would like the registration letters!

From my copy of Glass's Index 1929-1965. This is a guide to registrations and when they were issued published by the same company that produced the price guides for car dealerships. As they were only loaned to car dealers and would normally be returned when replaced by an updated copy very few got into the public domain. The 1965 edition was the last published as the age of a car registered after that year was readily identifiable by the year letter. A few copies 'escaped' and are now much sought after, often changing hands for a three figure sum.

UAE was Bristol issued Jan to Mar 1955 and UAR was Hertfordshire Mar to Apl 1955. Sorry but my book only shows registrations up to 1965.

Hi Phil

 

Something not right there Phil.  Either my eyes are playing up and it is not OFM or your data does not take account of letters AFTER numbers?

 

Grandad's Commer van was not on the road in the early 1950s and it certainly did not have a personalised / transferred number plate.  Grandad wouldn't even pay to have his business name painted on the side let alone fork out for a special registration.

 

Ray

That is what was recorded in the index mentioned above. OFM reversed with the numbers preceding the letters was never issued.

EDIT Could the registrations be 9040 FM and 9130 FM? Two letter registrations were also used by some authorities. FM was one such issue from 1960-62. My father had a Thames 400E 12-seater registered 8535 VX in 1960.

Edited December 14, 2017 by PhilJ W

[Dunsignalling]

The OFM registrations were issued by Chester Nov. 1951 to May 1952.

That would be on 'letters first' plates, the letters were re-used in most areas with numbers first starting (I think) about 1959.

 

My first car was one of the last sit-up-and-beg Ford Pops that was made that year, 888 BUO (Devon) - wish I'd kept it (the reg. not the car).

 

John

Edited December 14, 2017 by Dunsignalling

[Silver Sidelines]

Hi Phil

 

I have studied the picture again and it seems fairly clear three numbers 913 and then three letters OFM.  Grandad lived about 15 miles from Chester so that agrees with the FM.  It looks very much to me that OFM 'reversed' was issued.

. OFM reversed with the numbers preceding the letters was never issued.

..

Interestingly if you Google 913 OFM it brings up a number of links which confirm that this registration was issued by Chester.  For example:

 

Regards

 

Ray

Edited December 14, 2017 by Silver Sidelines

[Merfyn Jones]

From my copy of Glass's Index 1929-1965. This is a guide to registrations and when they were issued published by the same company that produced the price guides for car dealerships. As they were only loaned to car dealers and would normally be returned when replaced by an updated copy very few got into the public domain. The 1965 edition was the last published as the age of a car registered after that year was readily identifiable by the year letter. A few copies 'escaped' and are now much sought after, often changing hands for a three figure sum.

UAE was Bristol issued Jan to Mar 1955 and UAR was Hertfordshire Mar to Apl 1955. Sorry but my book only shows registrations up to 1965.

That is what was recorded in the index mentioned above. OFM reversed with the numbers preceding the letters was never issued.

EDIT Could the registrations be 9040 FM and 9130 FM? Two letter registrations were also used by some authorities. FM was one such issue from 1960-62. My father had a Thames 400E 12-seater registered 8535 VX in 1960.

 

Chester issued 3 numbers followed by OFM in 1960 (as I said I had one) later in 1962 they issued 4 numbers followed by FM but did not issue any ending in 0 (zero)

 

[ba14eagle]

Hello Walls, I spent most of my working life as a Vansalesman for sausage, pies and bacon companies. Four years for C&T Harris of Calne, I passed my driving test on one of their Commer Walkthroughs aged 17 having starting with them as a vanboy (they called it being a apprentice vansalesman .  . Five years for Spear Bros. and Clark, a local Bristol company, twentyfour years for Robirch (sister company to Millers of Poole), then finished up the remainder of my working years working for Bowyers. I really enjoyed the job.

Best wishes, Keith

My late Father used to drive a Commer van for Bowyers, out of the BRS depot in Melksham. I remember we used to have plenty of banter with the Walls and Millers salesmen we met, on his round in Bath.

If only Oxford Diecast could give us some models in these liveries.

[RANGERS]

My late Father used to drive a Commer van for Bowyers, out of the BRS depot in Melksham. I remember we used to have plenty of banter with the Walls and Millers salesmen we met, on his round in Bath.

If only Oxford Diecast could give us some models in these liveries.

Those Commers were clearly popular with the pie and sausage fraternity, locally we had Primecut (Kettering), Pork Farms (Leicester), Saxby (Wellingborough) and McKellar Watt (Motherwell), all of whom used them. The last travelled the length of the country to deliver to Corby’s ex pat Scots. They also used some curious Ford D0710s with low height fridge van bodies.

[PhilJ W]

Chester issued 3 numbers followed by OFM in 1960 (as I said I had one) later in 1962 they issued 4 numbers followed by FM but did not issue any ending in 0 (zero)

 

CSG655 (6).jpg

My apologies, very small 55 year old print can be very difficult to read, indeed OFM was issued 1959/60. This highlights the reason for not issuing four digit/two letter numbers with a zero on the end as it could be confused with the letter O.