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Austin Seven Roll Top Vans

The 1985A edition of the A7CA Grey magazine contained a photograph of a Roll Top Austin Seven Van , belonging to the Lincolnshire Echo , as its centre spread. Subsequently edition 1992B page 4 contained a letter written by the late ' Titch' Allen about these vans, which indicated that they existed in fairly large numbers throughout the Northcliffe Paper Group ( who still own the Daily Mail )
It seems almost certain that none of these vans have survived and I am in the process of recreating one. Howevr to date I have been unable to trace any other images of these vans. If anyone using the forum is able to point me in the direction of any other images or indeed any other information about these vehicles I would be most grateful to receive it.

Re: Austin Seven Roll Top Vans

The Lincolnshire Echo is still up and running. It may be worth contacting them to see if there are any photos or information in their archives.

Location: Spaldwick, Cambridgeshire.

Re: Austin Seven Roll Top Vans

Just a thought...
Might be worth contacting the Vintage Motor Cycle Club, the late Titch was the VMCC founder and they may have archive material?
regards
John

Location: flat norfolk

Re: Austin Seven Roll Top Vans

Lincolnshire County Archives may also hold material related to the Lincolnshire Echo - they'll certainly have copies of complete runs of local newspapers from the 1920's / 1930's which might possibly feature the vans. It would probably require you to visit and spend some considerable time researching their archives.

https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives/lincolnshire-archives/

Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England

Re: Austin Seven Roll Top Vans

Paul,John and Jeff many thanks for your suggestions.
I should have said that I had already been in touch with the Lincolnshire Echo who were very helpful and trawled their archives but were unable to trace any other photographs of the vans.
I was aware that ' titch' Allen, although a member of the 750MC was primarily a motorcycle man, but I had not thought of looking into the VMCC archives, but will pursue that avenue.
Lincolnshire county archives are certainly worth a look but when I was researching a different project l found that most of the photographs they held were sourced from the local Kent Messenger newspaper.b

Re: Austin Seven Roll Top Vans



Recent postings of photographs of Austin 7 vans prompts me to say that following my posting requesting help with images of Roll Top vans I did manage to locate a very useful image of six vans belonging to the Leicester Evening Mail that shows three sevens, two twelves and possibly a twenty. The sevens are all slightly different but reveal that there was no drivers door as that was where the spare wheel was mounted - a useful discovery as I was just about to make the door frames - phew !
The original image that I have from grey mag 1985A of one belonging to the Lincolnshire Echo shows a very different curve above the waist to the usual C shape. It may e that the vans were constructed by bodybuilders local to specific regional newspapers to a general design specified by The Northcliffe Group, which allows me some flexibility and immunity from the ' that's not right brigade'
My lack of computer know how means I am not able to reproduce the photograph but it can be found in the archived photographs of the Leicester Evening Mail which are held by Neville Chadwick Photography of Wigston at wwwchadwickphoto.couk

Re: Austin Seven Roll Top Vans

The Leicester Evening Mail vans are certainly different! If you follow those for style you'll have some interesting problems to resolve with the back door(s).
If you go for the side-mounted spare wheel, remember you will probably need to fit a bench seat, and you may still find it awkward to climb into the driving seat ...

Re: Austin Seven Roll Top Vans

Could it be that the vans were designed for frequent stops to drop off papers? The driver in the middle of Leicester would probably be safer getting out of the passenger side than into the traffic.
The Belgian Post-Telegraph Citroen 2CV vans were usually right hand drive to allow for the "Arrets Frequent" of the postman.
It would have been easier to block the driver's door with the spare than convert to LHD.

Location: Ripon

Re: Austin Seven Roll Top Vans



Thankyou Mike and Duncan for your observations.
In his letter in grey mag. 92b, the late Titch Allen who worked for the Leicester Evening Mail in the 1930's wrote :
' We had a fleet of vans which had a rounded ' streamlined ' back of wooden slats exactly like a roll top desk. The vans were used to rush the newspapers to corner site sellers and newsagents. In the open position they were very easy to load and unload and often a young assistant would sit in the back with his legs hanging out.'
This is only an extract from his letter but is the part relevant to your observations in that there are no rear doors but a shutter and unless hevwas on his own the driver would not be leaping in and out., however the lack of a drivers door is quite common on vintage cars but I think this often because the gear lever and handbrake are to the right of the driver as much as for safety reasons.