Truck from series 'On The Move' (1975ish)

[John M Upton]

Hello

 

I am having a bit of a blonde moment, I used to know my 1970's trucks off by heart but I am unsure what this one is/was. I initially thought it was a Ford D Series (presumably short wheelbase) but now I am not so sure.

 

Link to picture to avoid any possible copyright issues: https://nostalgiacentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/onthemove000.jpg

 

Other than a couple of grainy YouTube clips and a couple of grab pictures on the Internet, there is little to go on!

 

This van with its fetching BBC applied large arrow either side and driven by Bob Hoskins appeared in the adult illiteracy series On The Move in 1975 (and repeated thereafter which is when three year old me first encountered it and learnt to read!) and I wanted to replicate the van that features.

 

Edited July 8, 2020 by John M Upton

[Merfyn Jones]

Yes it certainly is a Ford D.

[devious diesel]

Yes its D series. I used to drive one. Horrible thing, no powering steering and a very long gear throw to select first.

 

David

Edited July 8, 2020 by devious diesel

[BernardTPM]

I can still remember the theme tune!

[bude_branch]

9 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

I can still remember the theme tune!

 

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by bude_branch

[John M Upton]

I know, I stumbled on it a few days ago hence the potential model van project starting and have been humming it ever since...

[crompton 33]

Back in the 1970's i worked  at a Ford dealer , The D series was nice and easy to work on. You undone a handle in the cab and the cab tilted forward so you could work on the engine. 

[JCB 3C no.2]

No experience but it looks a lot more comfortable than its predecessor the Trader .

[Giles]

I drove one daily for three years at the start of the eighties - I found it very good for what we wanted - at least I could sit up straight - which is more than I could ever do in a TK!

[Les Bird]

On 09/07/2020 at 12:24, crompton 33 said:

Back in the 1970's i worked  at a Ford dealer , The D series was nice and easy to work on. You undone a handle in the cab and the cab tilted forward so you could work on the engine. 

A friend of mine who used to work for the AA was called out to a breakdown. He found that somebody had built a horse box body on a D Series with a section for hay over the cab! It made things a little tricky.

[Giles]

Ours was a Luton body as well, but the Luton floor could hung up to allow the can to tilt - the problem was if it was fully loaded at the time!

[PatB]

The Ford D must have had something going for it, given that it was so ubiquitous for so long. At one stage it seemed as if every rigid truck that wasn't a TK was a D. 

 

Now the A Series, OTOH, must have been "not quite the right truck for anyone" as they were unusual enough that (at least where I grew up) spotting one was something of an occasion. ISTR the CEGB having a few, but they were pretty thin on the ground otherwise. Most of the few non forward-control light trucks I saw were Bedfords instead. 

[John M Upton]

Ah, the A Series, I always regarded them as a Transit that had overdone the steroids....  Local Gas Board had a couple IIRC.

Edited July 11, 2020 by John M Upton

[Fat Controller]

13 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

Ah, the A Series, I always regarded them as a Transit that had overdone the steroids....  Local Gas Board had a couple IIRC.

Most Utility Companies had a few, often converted to 4-wheel drive; my nan's old neighbour, who worked on the 'Hot Wire' gang with SWALEC used to drive one. Didn't last long before a UniMog replaced it.

[javlinfaw7]

Were the utiity company vehicles  not early Broughton RB44  who initialy fitted aA series cabs before moving to the Dodge/Renault equivalent when the A series ceased production. 

 

[Fat Controller]

28 minutes ago, javlinfaw7 said:

Were the utiity company vehicles  not early Broughton RB44  who initialy fitted aA series cabs before moving to the Dodge/Renault equivalent when the A series ceased production. 

 

They may have been.

[Pacific231G]

On 08/07/2020 at 23:55, BernardTPM said:

I can still remember the theme tune!

I found this image of the van

 

Showing my age, I can still remember broadcasting the first programme one evening when I was the BBC-1 Network Director in Television Centre . It  was my very first job in tele. (we also made programme trailers and directed the weather forecasts)  TVC as we all knew it has just had its 60th anniversary so is full of memories for all of us who ever worked there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ46phhFTCo

This was made by two RTS colleagues and I heartily recommend it.

 

I have heard that after his career took off Bob Hoskins avoided any mention of his role in  On the Move but he was entitled to be very proud of it. I've met several people who it inspired to read and write as adults, including a cameraman I used to work with.

 

 

 

 

[PatB]

10 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

 

I have heard that after his career took off Bob Hoskins avoided any mention of his role in  On the Move but he was entitled to be very proud of it. I've met several people who it inspired to read and write as adults, including a cameraman I used to work with.

 

 

 

 

Indeed he should. After all, it appears he still had hair in those days.

 

And it sure beat hanging around rather creepily in people's living rooms as he did in later years .