Description
H&H Classic Auction @Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire
27th Nov, 2024 13:00
1981 Vauxhall Bedford 10cwt HA Van
No Reserve
Registration No: FSF 780X
Chassis No: 92370CV700509
MOT: Exempt
Only 2 former keepers and in current family ownership since 1987
In regular use up until March 2020 and has been dry stored since
Believed to be an ex-Forestry Commission commercial vehicle
Ideal winter project
Launched in 1963 by Vauxhall subsidiary Bedford Vehicles, the HA van was based on the Vauxhall Viva HA saloon car and proved so popular that it remained in production for 20 years. Initially fitted with a 1, 057cc four-cylinder engine, this grew to 1, 159cc in 1967 and finally to 1, 256cc with payload options rated as 6cwt (HAE) or heavy-duty 8cwt (HAV) and a 10cwt option. With 48bhp on tap and driving through a four-speed all-synchro gearbox, it had a top speed of 60mph and 39mpg economy. Immensely popular with utility companies, no Seventies town or village street scene was complete without a British Gas, GPO or British Telecom, Post Office or even Forestry Commission HA van scurrying about its daily business. In the 1980s, the rebranding of the government-operated Post Office Telecommunications in 1981 led to the bold Bright Yellow British Telecom service vehicles being seen on the roads of the UK. Outliving the Viva HA saloon by almost five years, it soldiered on virtually unaltered until it was finally replaced by the new Astravan/ Astramax in 1983.
Coming to auction at ‘no reserve’, this Bedford 10cwt van is believed to have seen service on the Forestry Commission fleet, as suggested by the Moss Green paintwork and pine cones on the dashboard. It has been stored for the past 4 years after an illness left the vendor unable to drive it, being laid up and not seeing the light of day since 2020. The 10cwt (0. 5 ton) van was previously MOT'd regularly and often used for classic car events. Unfortunately, the vendor's deteriorating health has led to the car being laid up since 2020. A fantastic opportunity to acquire an example of these sought-after vehicles, it would make an ideal project for somebody. It is being offered with a current V5C.
