Proto Traveller?

Discuss anything Morris Minor related.
Forum rules
By using this site, you agree to our rules. Please see: Terms of Use
Post Reply
firedrake1942
Minor Legend
Posts: 2942
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:07 pm
MMOC Member: No

Proto Traveller?

Post by firedrake1942 »

Any more like this. There is the Kenyan one which ended up in a rubbish dump, but that was saloon based ....

Now this is an interesting conversion from a pick-up...Elwood Herring posted in Northfield Past, Present And Future. FB page
'A couple of pics of my dad's first car, circa 1960, parked in Spiceland Road. Note the brick behind the back wheel, since the handbrake was useless!'
OOA940 A local Birmingham issued plate. It appears to be early Series II with the sidelights used as indicators as LCV's would not even have had Trafficators when this was made. The sidelights are mounted, like an A 30 / 35, on the wings.

The roof of the pickup appears to have had Traveller style sliding windows installed and there is some mechanism which allows the rear window to flip up as the tailgate goes down.

It looks to have a rear bench seat and the spare tyre is mounted within the rear space. The back of the cab appears to have been removed, I wonder how, or even if, it was strengthened. A lot of thought has gone into this.

Very chunky 'Town and Country' back tyres. Was there some tax advantage to buying a pick-up and doing this ?

Two holes in the window pillar indicate where a side mirror may have been attached. A radio aerial is also fitted. The car looks immaculate.

The OP states that his father bought it like this and sold it after about 5 years.
Attachments
51575859_10214858144872547_6585213964701925376_n.jpg
51575859_10214858144872547_6585213964701925376_n.jpg (70.3 KiB) Viewed 827 times
51151560_10214858144072527_336388749225099264_n.jpg
51151560_10214858144072527_336388749225099264_n.jpg (54.53 KiB) Viewed 827 times
ManyMinors
Minor Legend
Posts: 2752
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 9:41 am
MMOC Member: No

Re: Proto Traveller?

Post by ManyMinors »

Probably just a "home conversion" based, as you say, on a pick-up. When new, a pick-up or van was much less expensive than a saloon or traveller as purchase tax was not payable on a commercial vehicle. This is the reason so many people bought vans privately and then fitted rear seats and (sometimes) windows later.
As you say, there appears to be little strength to the modified rear body!
There is a picture of a similar although not the same conversion in Paul Skilleter's book "The World's Supreme Small Car"

Factory traveller prototypes were all based on the saloon cars and the factory traveller was introduced in 1953 - the same year as the van and pick-up.
King Kenny
Minor Fan
Posts: 241
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:01 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: Proto Traveller?

Post by King Kenny »

Something similar photographed in 1986.
IMG_20190weba.jpg
IMG_20190weba.jpg (104.18 KiB) Viewed 703 times
IMG_2019-web.jpg
IMG_2019-web.jpg (101.1 KiB) Viewed 703 times
1969 Traveller in Almond green. Owned since 1979.
ManyMinors
Minor Legend
Posts: 2752
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 9:41 am
MMOC Member: No

Re: Proto Traveller?

Post by ManyMinors »

The above is the same car as in Paul Skilleter's book. Different colour scheme but same car and same registration number.
Post Reply