Triumph Van

[Sedin26]

I saw this outside Canadian Tire the other day. I’ve never seen anything like it before…

 

[Motu]

Normally a Standard Atlas, Leyland Atlas or Leyland 15 or 20, never seen one branded as a Triumph. Leyland owned Standard Triumph at that stage, before they got the rest of the British motor industry dumped on them. Same running gear as a TR4. As an apprentice we maintained a fleet of Leyland 20 vans, so I don't care for them much.

 

[97prizm]

Wow that is different. Cool pics.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It’s so ugly, it’s beautiful!

 

[ka9mnx]

Steering wheel appears to be on the left side. Unusual.

 

[wings&wheels]

before they got the rest of the British motor industry dumped on them.

Good description of the evolution of British Leyland. That long, twisted story is a great read with its mix of business, politics and ideologies....with the expected results.

 

[Number_35]

I think I heard somewhere that these early Brit vans were the inspiration for the many Japanese vans that followed - Toyota HiAce, Mazda Bongo, Mitsubishi Delica, etc.

Excellent interior room, shockingly bad safety for the driver and front passenger.

 

[ripcord]

Wow. They should have hired some Italian stylists or something

 

[02SE]

It appears to be completely restored, so someone is proud of it.

 

[fdcg27]

Wow. They should have hired some Italian stylists or something

Well, from time to time they did and the actual as-produced vehicle didn't usually seem to reflect that.

 

[fdcg27]

Good description of the evolution of British Leyland. That long, twisted story is a great read with its mix of business, politics and ideologies....with the expected results.

You forgot the labor unrest along with the cheaping out on badly needed new designs that did so much to cripple the UK car industry.
Imagine something like the MGB remaining in production until 1980 and then being revived in the nineties as the RV8.
There was the later and very good MGF, but by then BL had long since left the US market never to return.
Too little too late.
Today, you can buy a Morgan in the US and while TVRs still exist I don't think they're sold here. That's it for what remains of UK owned marques.
A pity!

 

[wings&wheels]

You forgot the labor unrest along with the cheaping out on badly needed new designs that did so much to cripple the UK car industry.
Imagine something like the MGB remaining in production until 1980 and then being revived in the nineties as the RV8.
There was the later and very good MGF, but by then BL had long since left the US market never to return.
Too little too late.
Today, you can buy a Morgan in the US and while TVRs still exist I don't think they're sold here. That's it for what remains of UK owned marques.
A pity!

Agree...and worker sabotage, favoring of certain brands within the conglomerate, etc. Figured ideology and (internal & national) politics covered it There is a very good book, forget the name right now.

Was the MGF a "very good" car though? Been in a few, mostly early ones, almost imported one than smartened up and while they are fun and interesting as MG's last breath and their first attempt at a modern sports car in generations, I am not sure I'd say they are good. Good design, maybe but execution, not so much. The K series, especially early ones is, uhh delicate, interior fittings seemed a bit bargain basement, and the early ones I was in seemed a might flexible and I remember seeing one in a showroom in Cork in '97 or so, and the bodywork around the seams was imperfect. Not bad, but not world class. That said, what I described applies to many if not most BL products and I say this as someone who loves them.

Maybe finally importing one could be my next project, they're good enough!

 

[Motu]

Standard Triumph were the controlling group in British Leyland, I guess being there first they looked down on the others, so we got the TR7 as the sports car. They dropped the Leyland van and BMC had the van market, the J4 becoming the Leyland Sherpa becoming the Leyland DAF becoming the LDV van.