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Bits n Bobs Part 1.
Others odds and ends with an E83W theme to them...
Here are some other E83W bits & pieces that I've found over the years - but as ever, all contributions welcome if you have something similar that you'd like to share with the world!
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A special articulated E83W
This is not a vehicle I've ever seen before, and I bet it doesn't still exist alas. This little picture appeared in a Commercial vehicle magazine back in 1952, and came with the following caption:
"Bradshaw's Motor House Ltd, Marsh Lane, Preston, constructed this articulated vehicle for Sharp's Commercials Ltd. The load of Bond Minicars weighs 16cwt. The tractor is a Thames 10-cwt model, and the trailer is 18ft long. The vehicle averaged well over 20 mpg."
Does anyone know anything more about this great E83W? The Bond Minicar was an economical 3 wheeler built in the early 50s, before the BMC Mini stole the thunder from these 3 wheeler manufacturers.
[Added 16 Feb 05] Thanks to the Bond Owners Club for this info: this articulated E83W was built in 1952 for Sharps Commercials, it was nicknamed the "Queen Mary" by the company and was intended to reduce the costs of deliveries of Bond Minicars around the country.
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"Hobbies" mode builder plans
These plans would have come as a supplement to a model building magazine called Hobbies Weekly, this one dating to 1948 so modelled on a Fordson version of the Utilecon - the 'All Purpose Vehicle' as its called here - who ever said that MPVs or SUVs are a modern creation?? I think you'd have to be nifty with the balsa wood to make a good job of building this wooden model, I wonder how many were completed and if any survive today???
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Dairy van
This little snippet was found in a dairy magazine dating to 1949 and shows an interesting little Fordson, reg FCR 220. At first glance it looks like any normal Fordson of the 1940s, with its non-beaded edge wings and lack of bonnet side badges (which came along when the 10cwt was sold as a Thames). However look closely and you'll see that the rain gutter above the drivers door, extends all the way to the back of the body, not something found on standard Ford bodies. The shape of the rear also looks to be a little squared off compared to the standard item, so I suspect this may be a coachbuilt body fitted to a standard Ford chassis/cab. On the literature page there is a brochure scan of a company that did such coachwork, and I think this may be something similar. The dairy was the Shirley Warren Dairy of Southampton - wonder if that is still around today?
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Ford press photo
I am unsure of the date to this Ford press photo, as it refers in the past tense to models built by Ford. Starting from the top is an example of the Fordson 7V, a 30hp V8-powered model built 1937-1949 according to the blurb here. Next is a view of the production line showing new shiny Fordson tractors preparing to chug off the line, although I can't see any exhaust pipes fitted yet. Next to the E83W is the Thames 4D Trader, built 1949-57 it says here. The 10cwt shown is an interesting example, with a specialist coachbuilt body fitted to a standard chassis/cab. The chrome hubcaps are a nice touch though not a standard fitting as far as I know.
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