Vehicle Description
With Austin and Morris both being part of BMC, the Minor-based
Morris commercials were also marketed as the Austin 6cwt and Austin
8cwt with a closed van and open pick-up version of the Minor being
built from 1953 until the end of production in 1973. They were
designed for commercial use with small businesses in mind, although
many made their way to larger corporations. The van version was
popular with the Post Office with the early version of these (to
around 1956) having rubber front wings, to cope with the sometimes
unforgiving busy situations in which they were expected to work.
Both the van and the pick-up differed from the monocoque
construction of the Saloon and Traveller variant by having a
separate chassis. They also differed in details such as telescopic
rear dampers, stiffer rear leaf springs and lower-ratio
differentials to cope with the heavier loads. Originally registered
on 1st May, 1970, this Austin pick-up has recently been restored
and, as such, presents in lovely condition. The bodywork was
stripped and any corrosion cut out and re-fabricated accordingly,
she was repainted in blue and the interior re-trimmed.
Mechanically, these vehicles are fairly basic yet thoroughly
reliable. The 1098cc �A'-series engine ran exceptionally well
during our demonstration, starting on the button and running
smoothly and quietly. The gearbox and brakes operated exactly as
they should. Supplied with a V5C registration document and a full
years MoT test certificate, this Austin badged pick-up is rare and
offered for sale without reserve. For sale by auction on Saturday
23 September 2017 with Historics at Brooklands, Brooklands Motor
Racing Circuit, Weybridge, Surrey, Call 01753 639170
