1927 Morris Commercial 13.9hp One-Ton Van

Registration no. CA 7020 Chassis no. 14446T

Footnotes

Following the acquisition of E G Wrigley & Co's Foundry Lane works in Soho, Birmingham in 1924, William Morris set up a new company: Morris Commercial Cars Ltd. By May of that year, production of the first Morris commercial vehicle – the one-ton T-type – was under way. Like their passenger-car cousins, the Oxford and Cowley, the first Morris commercials used the well-tried Hotchkiss-type four-cylinder sidevalve engine. A close copy of the Continental, the Hotchkiss engine had been made in 1,548cc, 11.9hp form initially, a larger (1,802cc) 13.9hp version becoming available in 1923. Brakes were fitted to the rear wheels only. Another of the first models to emerge was an 8cwt light van based on the Cowley 11.9hp chassis, which would later be adopted by the Post Office. This one-ton T-Type though, has the larger 13.9hp engine. In common with most contemporary commercial vehicles, these early Morris vans offered little by way of protection for the driver, half-doors being the norm. Full-length doors were adopted later. The factory offered various standard bodies, while many chassis carried bespoke coachwork built to suit the special requirements of their operators. Lighting was basic, consisting of two large side lamps and a single tail lamp, though a five-lamp set was available as an optional extra.

'CA 7020' was originally supplied to the London & North Eastern Railway and was finished in their distinctive livery of Crimson Lake/black. The vehicle was purchased by the current vendor from an Essex farm in the early 1970s and restored between 1982 and 1993. It was then sold on and repurchased in 2015. Features of note include stop lights, flashing indicators, and a charming 'AOFB' radiator mascot, the initials standing for 'Association Of Froth Blowers', a pre-CAMRA beer appreciation society! Accompanying documentation includes restoration bills, an old-style logbook, current MoT, and a V5C Registration Certificate, the vehicle has had servicing work in recent weeks to prepare it for sale. The original plain radiator cap is included in the sale.