Lot 266 - 1970 Austin Morris Pick-up

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.