Welcome to the E83W Fordson Thames site
E83W Homepage
Contact page

E83W Information
Bits n bobs Pt1
Bits n bobs Pt2
Brochures & Literature
Brochures montage
Buying an E83W
Chassis diagram
Film star pickup
Model history E83Ws
My pickups & van
Parts I need to find
Purchase Tax in the '50s
Road test Fordson 10cwt
Screensaver!
Thames van artwork
Toy E83Ws eg Dinky
Utilecon line drawings
Utilecon rescue article
Wiring diagram E83W

E83W Discoveries
1944 Van - 12k miles!
Alan's 10cwt van find
Coachbuilt van discovery
Estate car 'barn find'
Luton bodied van

E83W Photographs
Cooper Racing team
Elva Car Company
Emergency Food van Pg1
Emergency Food van Pg2
Ford Press photos Pg1
Ford Press photos Pg2
Ice cream vans Pg1
Ice cream vans Pg2
Imperial War Museum
Period E83W photos Pg1
Period E83W photos Pg2
Period E83W photos Pg3
Period E83W photos Pg4
Period E83W photos Pg5
Period E83W photos Pg6
Period E83W photos Pg7
Period E83W photos Pg8
Period E83W photos Pg9
Period magazine ads Pg1
Period magazine ads Pg2
Period magazine ads Pg3
Period magazine ads Pg4
Postcards of 10cwts
Overseas E83W Photos
Chilean pickup trucks
Cypriot 10cwt vans
Finnish van project
Indian minibus / estate
New Zealand Scrappers
Uruguayan survivors Pg1
Uruguayan survivors Pg2
Uruguayan survivors Pg3

E83W Restoration
E83W Rebuild series
Pickup rebuild in Wales

E83W Classifieds
E83Ws For Sale
Sidevalve parts ads (REMOVED)

Other sidevalves
103E Roadster utility
5cwt Fordson Old Pics
5cwt Fordson Photos
Other sidevalve vans etc

Reference material
Leslie Ballamy Book
Sidevalve Fords Book
Sidevalve weblinks

Sun article
E83W Prints available


Cookies, Privacy & Disclaimers

Australian E83W advert

Classic Ford Thames E83W Van & Pickup Website.

Welcome to the Fordson/Thames 10cwt site.

You've arrived at the only site on the 'net dedicated to the great little E83W Ford truck. This 10cwt commercial, in many different guises, continued in production throughout the war, finally being retired in 1957, making it one of the most successful, and long-lasting, lightweight Ford commercials of all time.

The site was originally launched in 2000 and has been updated on and off ever since.

I'm no longer updating the Owners Register, but please do call by the forum (link alongside) and join up to discuss E83Ws with other owners.

E83W merchandise now available!
I've put together a number of designs featuring the iconic E83W van. Each design can be ordered in the E83W collection, over on the Old Classic Car merchandise store. Each design can be ordered on 70+ different items, the ordering of which is all handled by Redbubble, on whose site these E83W designs are hosted. So if you've been looking for E83W T-shirts, caps, mugs, stickers and much more, please take a look by clicking the image below.
E83W merch

1938 E83W brochure review.
I've uploaded a video to Youtube, playable below, looking at a 1938 brochure for the (then) new Fordson 10cwt (E83W) van. Included in it are early features such as wind-up door windows, and the early style of rear wheel arch. Worth a view if you like your E83Ws:



Co-Op van.
Les kindly sent over this E83W photo. It shows a coachbuilt Fordson van used by the Co-Op in the 1950s. Note it has beaded edge wings, and wide 16" wheels from a pickup (vans had 18" as standard).

E83W used by the Co-op

A standard 10cwt E83W van.
This photo shows a smiling gent sat behind the wheel of his standard 10cwt Thames van. It looks like a suburban setting, perhaps he'd only just bought the van, or was heading out for his first day in a new job? Most E83W drivers wore old overalls rather than a suit!

A standard E83W van

Update on CJM 357. Thames E83W, registration CJM 357, no longer exists. As suspected, this pickup, which has remained with its correct original number since 1955 (and I owned since the early 90s), has had the reg. number removed for quick financial gain since I sold it, thus destroying any chance of the vehicle surviving in original form. It went on to sport an age-related number, 106 XUE, before going to a new life in Ireland. As of 2014 the van's registration, KDL 703, continues to reside on it.

Fleet of vans used by WH Bensted
Gerald kindly scanned me this wonderful photograph, showing a fleet of predominantly E83Ws, with the accompanying note .. "W.H. Bensted was our family business, based in Maidstone Kent. WH Bensted was my great grandfather.". What a fantastic photo, thanks so much for sending it over to feature here! I can count 19 E83Ws, a 300E van, plus some larger commercials at the back.

E83W fleet

Festival of Britain
Thanks to Rodney for sending this (photo credit: Fred Peskett of the Festival of Britain Society). Shown is a mint Rediffusion Sound Unit van, at the construction site for the Festival of Britain. Does anyone know what became of this and other Rediffusion 10cwt vans?

Rediffusion van

 
Please do not reproduce any item found on this website in any format, or hotlink directly to images hereon, thanks.