Mystery commercial

[Ian Grace]

Here's a quiz photo. What is this? Hint - registered February 1934...

[Toby]

I assume its an ex works van as its early spec?

[Ian Grace]

Toby, I didn't say that I had the answer! Given the 1934 registration date and the curved front roof and larounded windscreen, etc. I thought that it might be one of the elusiver 1934 season 5 cwt. vans. But they had raked A-posts as far as I can tell - like the later saloons, and this van has uprignt A posts. It also has a late front valence to accommodate a '33 or '34 radiator shell, but the '34 vans still retained the 'Flatnose' radiator - which this van has! The hydrauluic shockers and brakes seem to confirm 1934 origin. If I could find the chassis number I suspect I'd find it started life as a saloon. Am attempting to track down the owner to hopefully learn more.

[Trevor Wilkinson]

Could it be a Post Office spec van?

[Ian Grace]

Hi Trevor,

Probably not - because they the Post Office linesman vans and the Royal Mail vans all had the rounded wings like your 2-seater, and had square. two-piece screens:

[chris lambert]

Could it be an early Marina? That certainly looks like the origin of the Morris script on the radiator! As Toby suggested perhaps it was a van used around the factory at Cowley for the first three or four years of its life using those seemingly endlessly transferable UD plates, before being sold on?. The running gear seems to indicate that the chassis was built in the first six months of 1931(black rad, older wheels). Did the later 5 cwt vans also carry the painted rad shells?
Chris

[Ken Martin]

The c1932 telephone engineer’s vans had the early type wings – see picture – and the distinctive overhead line observation window – a very purposeful provision.
The mystery van is possibly a fairly modern creation based on a MM 1934 model chassis and various earlier parts – wings, rad, wheels, lamps etc. The wings are however slightly different to any of the three distinct types used on the early MM cars – the front peeks are more pointed and set at a less acute angle. The lights are also different to Minor ones of any year. The Series 1 Morris Eight 5 cwt van used wheels similar to those on the Mystery Van with the same black hub caps. The M8 wheels have 6 securing studs.
Ken

[Mike Stubbings]

Could have been a specially built commercial travellers vehicle.Hi all been off air for a while,if anyone has sent me eMails sorry for not answering them. have lost all my email addresses and old email and cannot track them at moment.Mike

[Ian Grace]

Welcome back Mike. Sorry to hear about your computer woes.