47-562: The LDV Pilot was the last of a series of a panel vans that was produced by from 1974 until 2005, originally as the 1974 Leyland Sherpa developed by the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland , which was in turn derived from earlier light commercials produced by the British Motor Corporation . The Pilot was available in capacities from 2.2 to 2.6 tonnes in a 5.7 cubic metres (200 cu ft) load area. Power came from
94-834: A concept car edition of a panel van based on the PT Cruiser at the North American International Auto Show , but it was not manufactured. In 2007 Chevrolet released a panel van version of the HHR , marketed as the HHR Panel. The small cargo vans currently sold by American manufacturers are from their overseas divisions, for example, the Ford Transit Connect and Ram ProMaster City ; however, both vehicles are planned to be discontinued by their respective manufacturers by 2023 due to lackluster sales. European panel vans of
141-478: A delivery van (United Kingdom), blind van , car-derived van or sedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger car chassis , typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind the B-pillar . Panel vans are smaller than panel trucks or cargo vans , both of which use body-on-frame truck chassis. As they are derived from passenger cars, the development of panel vans
188-511: A 1.9 litre Peugeot diesel engine driving the rear wheels through a five speed gearbox. Access to the load area is from either the rear or a sliding side door. Derived from the Morris/BMC J4 and JU250 vans of the 1960s, the core vehicle went through a series of developments, the main one being the revision of the forward control layout of the J4 and moving the engine ahead of the cab and accessible via
235-628: A basic HZ Holden panel van was priced at A$ 6,076, with the Sandman option package an additional A$ 1,700. If a buyer selected every Sandman extra, which would cost in excess of 50% more than a basic HZ panel van, Holden would include a velvet mattress with the Holden logo embroidered. The Sandman ute and panel van were phased out in October 1979, with the end of the HZ series. Panel vans generally declined in popularity through
282-519: A black vertically slatted grille which gave it a family resemblance to the Range Rover ) and much improved side access to the load bay. Driver comfort and NVH levels were particular targets for improvement. One major difference, although not easily noticed, was new doors and B-pillar; the B-pillar on the original model leaned slightly forward, obscuring the driver's vision and hindering access. The side window
329-676: A bonnet. This allowed the wheelbase to be extended resulting in greater stability, payload, side loading and the distinctive 'Sherpa' profile (though the last of the J4s and the first Sherpa are largely identical from the rear). The Sherpa gave way to the Freight Rover 200 Series and in turn the Leyland DAF 200 Series before finally becoming the Pilot after LDV was formed in 1993. It was originally designed to be built on car production lines which led to it having
376-780: A corresponding ute and station wagon models. In May 1961, Ford Australia released a panel van version of the XK Falcon , marketed as the "sedan delivery" body style. The first panel van by Chrysler Valiant was part of the CL Valiant model range and was introduced in April 1977. Panel vans' combination of cargo space and customisable interior in a relatively compact vehicle made them attractive to painters, electricians, general labourers and film crews. Australian police forces also used panel vans (nicknamed "divvy vans" or " paddywagons "). Early Australian panel vans used swing-down and -up tailgates and
423-701: A custom cargo box are usually called box trucks or moving vans. In the late 1920s, Ford produced "Town Car Delivery" and "Wood Panel Delivery" as part of the Ford Model A model range. Later Plymouth produced a sedan delivery from 1935 until 1941. Pontiac produced deliveries until 1953 in the U.S. and until 1958 in Canada based on the Pontiac Pathfinder . Sedan delivery models were usually produced in small quantities of 200 or less, for example 449 Canadian Pontiac sedan deliveries were built in 1958. From 1959 on,
470-404: A modified drivetrain) from 1986, producing 132 horsepower (98 kW). This version was designed for emergency services and express delivery operators, and was bought in large numbers by the police and ambulance services. Economy was very poor with this engine, with a claimed figure of only 14.1 miles per imperial gallon (20.0 l/100 km). However, with the sale of Freight Rover in 1989,
517-555: A narrow track. This feature was made into a virtue in later publicity by stressing its ability in narrow city streets – this indeed was why the Sherpa series was for many years preferred over the Ford Transit by the Royal Mail , in particular. Originally developed by British Leyland , the model was launched in 1974 under the nameplate Leyland Van . Later renamed Sherpa , it was sold under
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#1733085011406564-506: A negligible premium over the 1.7, a mere £50 (equivalent to £223 in 2023), with fuel consumption remaining the same and drivability being considerably improved. Power for the 1.7 petrol was 45.5 kW (61 bhp; 62 PS). A few months after the engine changes, the Sherpa was rebadged as a Morris . In 1981, BL created the Freight Rover division as part of the Land Rover group, so
611-650: A new single brand for BL's light commercial vehicle range, which had previously been sold under the Leyland and Austin-Morris brands - (although car derived vans such as those based on the Morris Ital and Austin Metro continued to be sold under either the Austin or Morris brands). Essentially Freight Rovers were face-lifted, badge engineered 1st gen Leyland Sherpas . Under later company organisation changes, Freight Rover became part of
658-619: A standard roof height, indicative of their ute and station wagon/sedan delivery origins. In the mid 60s first Holden, then Ford introduced unique rooflines to their panelvan models. These were higher than the previous stagion wagon based roof, giving greater cargo space and functionality. In the early 70s, Ford introduced horizontally opening rear doors (nicknamed "barn doors"). By the early 1970s, when panel vans were in decline in America, they had become cultural icons in Australia. The most popular model
705-539: A succession of marque names reflecting the turbulent times at British Leyland during the 1970s - being sold as a Leyland, Morris, Austin-Morris and then finally as the Freight Rover Sherpa. The initial Sherpa line up consisted of vans in 185, 215 and 240 versions (where 185 denotes a GVW of 1.85 tons, and so on); pick ups in 215 and 240 versions; a 240 crewbus and minibus; and various chassis cab options in 220 and 250 versions. Payloads were quoted as 13/14cwt for
752-440: Is typically closely linked with the passenger car models upon which they depend. North American panel vans were initially based upon the two-door station wagon models, while Europe's narrower roads dictated that panel vans utilize the smaller donor chassis of subcompact cars in that market. In Australia, panel vans were a development of the ute , a small pickup truck based on a passenger car chassis, e.g. Holden Ute , often using
799-472: The 300 Series . The 200 Series was initially available with a two tonne GVW. The capacity for the 200 series remained at 190 cubic feet (5.4 m). A Luton style body was offered, built on the 255 chassis cab, providing a capacity of 400 cubic feet (11 m), and a maximum payload of almost two tonnes. The chassis cab also formed the basis for drop side pick ups, in 255, 280 and 285 versions, again available with either short or long wheelbases. Of course,
846-466: The Chevrolet Delray and Ford Courier , or pickup-based vans (panel deliveries). Large, boxy unibody vans based on truck platforms (such as the Ford Transit , Ram ProMaster , and Chevrolet Express ) as well as smaller unibody vans (like the Ford Transit Connect and Ram Promaster City ) are usually referred to as cargo vans or just panel vans. Larger vehicles built on a chassis cab with
893-816: The Chevrolet Vega Panel Express and the Ford Pinto Panel Wagon. The Vega Panel Express was introduced in September 1970 and it was Chevy's first sedan delivery in ten years since the final full-size model was offered in 1960. The Vega Panel Express body style accounted for less than 2% of the total Chevrolet Vegas produced during the 1971 through 1975 model years. First-year sales of the Vega Panel Express peaked at 7,800 units and after leveling off to 4,000 units per year, only 1,525 were sold in 1975. The Pontiac Astre Panel, Pontiac's version of
940-581: The DKW van and the first-generation Ford Transit in 1965. In the United Kingdom, panel vans benefit from having lower taxes than station wagons and do not have the speed restrictions which apply to larger vans. This has given rise to some anomalies. Authorities and dealers are not always certain on what qualifies as a car-derived van. SUVs and crossovers are also popularly turned into light commercial vehicles without rear seats. Examples of panel vans from
987-757: The Leyland Trucks division of BL. In 1987, the Leyland Trucks division of, what was by then, the Rover Group (following the renaming of BL in 1986), merged with the Dutch truck company DAF Trucks to form DAF NV (Which in the UK traded as Leyland DAF ), which was later floated on the Dutch stock market. The new company has three plants; two truck plants Eindhoven and Leyland , and a van plant in Washwood Heath . Following
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#17330850114061034-585: The Rover Group left this sector of the light commercial market. With Freight Rover becoming Leyland DAF , the 200 Series was given a new radiator grille, bearing the Leyland DAF badge. The 200 Series continued to be built on car lines and its narrow width meant it became a very popular city van. The last 200s switched from the Perkins Prima engine to the less economical but more refined, naturally aspirated indirect injection PSA XUD 1.9L engine. Following
1081-569: The Sherpa's badges were changed again. With export sales dropping dramatically and the Sherpa losing market share to the Transit and other, newer competitors, British Leyland seriously considered letting the Sherpa wither on the vine and exiting the sector. But, instead, a limited program of updates was launched and the short lived Sherpa K2 made its first appearance in June 1982. It had a neater appearance (using
1128-409: The 1.8 litre B series diesel and the option of a Landi-Hartog LPG conversion, first introduced at the launch of Freight Rover the year before. A 4WD Sherpa van was also now offered. With the next facelift, the Sherpa (now known as the Freight Rover 200 series) gained square headlamps, new bumpers and repositioned indicators. Alongside the original bodystyle there was new wide bodied variant called
1175-580: The 185; 18/19cwt for the 215 and 220; and 22/23cwt for the 240 and 250. Loadspace, at 190 cubic feet (5.4 m), was considerably larger than that of the J4 and only just short of the Morris 250 JU . In 1978 the 1.7 and 2.0 litre O series engines replaced the original 1622 cc and 1798 cc B series petrol units, while the 1798 cc B series diesel stayed put. The range was redesignated accordingly: vans: 200, 230 and 250; pick ups: 230 and 250; minibus and crewbus: 250 only; chassis cab: 255 only. The petrol 2.0 required
1222-611: The 1980s. Holden's last panel van, the WB , ceased production in 1984. Ford was the last manufacturer of Australian panel vans, until production of the XH Falcon , ceased in 1999. In 2000, Holden unveiled a retro-styled Sandman show car based on the Holden VU Ute . While this Sandman was never released, a canopy or "camper shell" featuring the same styling was made available as an A$ 6,150 accessory for Holden utes from 2003 through 2006. Installation
1269-513: The 200 series, being then replaced by the 2.0 NA direct injection Diesel Rover MDi / Perkins Prima, (as found in Maestros and in turbocharged form in Montegos and late Maestros (from 1992 to 1994)) which was effectively a dieselised BL O series engine. This was a somewhat raucous, noisy and unrefined engine but was however a very reliable unit capable of excellent fuel economy, although the performance of
1316-616: The 20th century include the Citroën 2CV Fourgonnette, Citroën H Van , Citroën C15 , Ford Escort , Morris Minor , Renault Estafette , SEAT Inca and more recently the Renault Kangoo and the Opel Combo . From the 1950s onwards, a larger alternative to the panel van was the van (based on a commercial vehicle chassis instead of a passenger car chassis), such as the Volkswagen Type 2 ,
1363-505: The 255 or 280 chassis cab, and offering 330 cubic feet (9.3 m) of loadspace. An optional Luton body took loadspace up to 460 cubic feet (13 m), again with a choice of basic chassis cab GVWs. The original, integral pick up had now been dropped in favour of a dropside pick up built on the Sherpa chassis-cab. The 255 and 280 chassis cabs were also available on their own, ready to receive bespoke bodywork. Engine availability continued unaltered, with 1.7 and 2.0 litre O series petrol units,
1410-835: The Sandman was the Surferoo, which was introduced into the XB Falcon model range in 1973. In 1977, the Surferoo was replaced by the more popular Sundowner, in the XC Falcon range. The traditional tailgate style doors were also reintroduced as an option with the XC range. In 1976, Chrysler released a similar model called the Drifter , which was part of the Chrysler CL Valiant product range. The Drifter ceased production in 1978. Younger drivers were especially attracted to panel vans, not least because of
1457-499: The Vega Panel Express, was available in Canada in the 1973–75 model years and in the US for 1975. The Pinto Panel Wagon was introduced in 1976 and was offered in both a commercial and a "factory customized" Pinto Cruising Wagon version that featured a round porthole style window on each side. The Ford Courier name, previously used for Ford sedan delivery vans, began to be used with Ford's import pickup truck line. In 2002, Chrysler showed
LDV Pilot - Misplaced Pages Continue
1504-625: The army for transporting troops. Power arrived in the form of a Peugeot 1905cc diesel engine throughout the entire range, however it made the Pilot sluggish and only able to achieve 75 mph (121 km/h) (One of the rare versions with the turbocharged version of this engine was an altogether more satisfying drive). It also had little torque meaning most hills required the driver to change down. Early models have basic interiors consisting of two or three seats, Mountain Blue coloured plastic dashboard and LDV branded FM/AM cassette radio. Gears are selected using
1551-479: The cargo bay while carrying surfboards on the roof. By the end of 1979, the Sandman had largely lost its place in the contemporary Australian youth culture – order figures were down and many of the vehicles were now being sold with the stripes and tailgate logos deleted. The final Sandman was in the Holden HZ series and featured V8 engines only, along with a four-headlight grille and under bumper front spoiler. In 1979,
1598-546: The chassis cab could also be ordered on its own, again in a choice of lengths, so that bespoke bodywork could be fitted, with the added option of either single or double cabs. The 200 series continued to be offered as minibus or crewbus. While the K2 Sherpa's engines remained available (including the ancient B series diesel), a 2.5 litre diesel unit was now offered on the 300 series. The B series diesel bowed out in November 1986 for
1645-495: The complete Sherpa 200 chassis and running gear (and occasionally engine) to enable it to pass the stricter SVA rules imposed after 1999. The vehicle did not prove to be popular, and only 17 examples of the Sherpley were manufactured between these dates; the last one known to be sold still in kit form was advertised on eBay in 2013, prior to being sold privately for an undisclosed sum. Panel van A panel van , also known as
1692-424: The ease with which a mattress could be installed within the cargo bay. Consequently, panel vans also attracted nicknames such as "sin bins," and "shaggin' wagons". During the 1970s many Australian panel van owners took to applying airbrush mural art to the sides of their vans, paralleling a similar trend in America. Along with Volkswagen Kombi micro-busses, panel vans were popular with surfers, who could sleep in
1739-551: The last 30 years are the Renault Kangoo (1997), the Fiat Doblò (2001), Opel Combo (2001), Ford Transit Connect (2002) or the Volkswagen Caddy (2004). They are also purpose-designed to be utilitarian base model MPVs / people carriers, for a range of such vehicles. Since the 1980s, most manufacturers have offered light van versions of their small hatchbacks, sharing bodywork with the regular passenger version. These versions have
1786-569: The longer wheelbase of a station wagon chassis. Panel vans were a well-established body type by the end of the 1920s. Panel vans have experienced divergent evolution in America, Europe, and Australia, as a result of the different passenger car platforms upon which panel vans are based in each region. A panel van is often known as a "delivery" or "sedan delivery" in North America. It is an older term that usually only applies to station wagon-based vehicles (sedan deliveries/delivery wagons) such as
1833-544: The naturally aspirated engine was not a strong point. As a city van it was adequate but totally unsuitable for motorway work due to the noise levels. At the same point, the O-series 1.7 and 2.0 Petrol engines were given an upgrade becoming the O2. A low compression version of the Rover 3.5 litre V8 unit (taken from Land Rover ) also became available on certain versions of the 300 Series (with
1880-560: The now unpopular floor mounted gear stick. The van was also used by various police forces and the Royal Mail . A Sherpa derived van was also produced in Turkey by BMC Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. as the BMC Levend , and as of 2006, a pick up derivative is also sold. This was not promoted in the United Kingdom . A short lived Sherpa 200 derived Kit Car produced by Sherpley Motors of Loughborough
1927-510: The rear seats removed and may have blanked rear windows, depending on local regulations. As of 2019, the market consists of the following models and many more: The first Holden panel van produced in Australia was the FJ Holden , which was released in December 1953, although many manufacturers offered panel vans in their range prior to this. Like many Australian panel vans, it was based on
LDV Pilot - Misplaced Pages Continue
1974-511: The sedan delivery was no longer practical; it was phased out in 1960 as a Chevrolet model, so the requisite Chevrolet body was no longer available. With the growing sales of the Volkswagen Type 2 and the introduction of compact vans , sedan deliveries faded from the scene. Chevrolet dropped the body type after 1960, while Ford moved it to the Falcon line-up until 1965. In the 1970s, Chevrolet and Ford offered subcompact sedan deliveries with
2021-501: The sell off of the van business from the insolvent Leyland DAF in 1993, LDV Limited was formed. In 1996, the van received a facelift with less boxy front panels and a redesigned dashboard and seating and was renamed the Pilot . The facelift also saw the end of the '80s Rover stalks, but not the instruments and minor switchgear. The van became popular as a minibus , and was available in pick up and fleet based vans, as well as being used by
2068-407: Was also enlarged, as were the windows on the rear doors. The Sherpa van could now be bought in 200, 230, 250 and 280 versions, reflecting the maximum GVW in tens of kilograms - 200 meaning 2 tonnes, 230 signifying 2.3, and so on. The crewbus and minibus continued in 250 form. Loadspace remained at 190 cubic feet (5.4 m), but a new "Hi Capacity" walk thru body was also offered, built on either
2115-512: Was complicated, however, and the rear window and cab wall of the ute were retained, preventing movement between the cargo bay and the passenger cab as was possible in purpose-built panel vans. Freight Rover Freight Rover was a British commercial vehicle manufacturer based in the Washwood Heath area of Birmingham , England. Freight Rover was created as a division of the Land Rover Group of British Leyland (BL) in 1981, creating
2162-453: Was manufactured briefly between 1997 and 2007, first being reported in Which Kit of October 1997. The kit was engineered to loosely resemble a vintage Bentley . The early Speed Six design just used Sherpa axles and suspension, fitted to a custom chassis and mated to an engine of buyer's choice before being fitted with an Aluminium and fiberglass fabricated body; the later Speed Four model used
2209-536: Was the Holden Sandman , which was marketed to surfing lifestyle. The first Sandman was built in small quantities in 1974 in the HQ model range, but the model's popularity greatly increased in the subsequent HJ generation, which was released in October 1974. In the 1979 movie Mad Max , a modified 1975 HJ Sandman model was one of the vehicles driven by the lead character (played by Mel Gibson ). Ford's competitor to
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