Tag Archives: Pickup

Protoect-O-Top – Ford Ranchero

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Unlike it’s earlier siblings, which had been based on the full size Ford Custom range, the second generation Ford Ranchero was based on the mid size Ford Falcon range and launched in 1960.

Ford Ranchero, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

In 1964 like it’s parent Falcon the Ranchero received a face lift with the 4.7 litre / 289 cui Windsor V8 replacing the 4.3 litre / 260 cui variant in the top performance models.

Ford Ranchero, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

Note that while the ’64 Falcon was known as second generation, the ’60 to ’65 model Ranchero’s inclusive are known as second generation Ranchero’s.

Ford Ranchero, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

Toady’s featured vehicle powered by a “289” was built in 1965, but appears not to have been imported into the UK until 2009.

Ford Ranchero, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

The rear deck is covered by an aftermarket Protect-O-Top made of fibre glass with spring loaded hinges made in Santa Clara CA, Protect-O-Top appears to have gone out of business after the owner failed to attract a buyer some years ago.

Ford Ranchero, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

In 2011 a ’65 Ranchero owner managed to trace two former Protect-O-Top employees who had access to the original moulds. They were persuaded to make up some new Ranchero Protect-O-Tops for between $650 and $900 each. The cost of shipping these items doubled the cost, because they could only be carried at commercial rates due to their “66 x 60” unpacked size.

Ford Ranchero, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

With a larger payload than the VW Type 2 pickup, against which the Ranchero was designed to compete, the model did well, unlike it’s parent Falcon which could not hold it’s own against the new Ford Mustang pony car.

Thanks for joining me on this “Protoect-O-Top” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !

In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.

If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.

It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.

You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.

More on Brighton Speed Trials on this link.

Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.

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1st Class Worker – Austin 1800 Mk II Utility

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British Motor Corporation launched it’s AD017 models known initially Austin 1800’s in 1964 with a Mk II version coming out in 1968.

Austin 1800 UTE, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Today’s featured 1969 pick up was built, solely for the Australian market, a year after the model was launched with the strap line “1st Class Worker“.

Austin 1800 UTE, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Australian 1800’s were built with raised suspension and stronger sump guards to meet the more extreme Antipodean conditions, the 1800 Utililty or UTE also had a low ratio gearbox and heavy duty servo’s for anticipated work on the farm.

Austin 1800 UTE, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Today’s featured car, seen at the Classic Motor Show, started it’s life on a sheep farm in Victoria State and ended up in Melbourne. It was purchased by the current owner and shipped to the UK in 2009.

Austin 1800 UTE, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Apparently it’s first British MOT (mandatory road worthiness test) ran to four pages of faults requiring rectification. These problems were all fixed but the body was in need of a restoration which has just been completed.

Austin 1800 UTE, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

As in Europe the practical, if a little too utilitarian, saloon/sedan Land Crabs, as ADO17’s are known, struggled to find a market down under and this extended to the 1800 Utility of which just over 2,000 were built between 1968 and 1971.

Thanks for joining me on this “1st class worker” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a car named after a breed of bulls. Don’t forget to come back now !

Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !

In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.

If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.

It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.

You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.

Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.

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Badge Transformation – Morris 1/2 Ton Pickup

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The design for today’s 1972 (Nineteen seventy two) Morris 1/2 ton pick up, seen at a recent Avenue Driver Club meeting, dates back to the original incarnation of the Austin Cambridge which in A40 guise first saw the light of day in 1954.

Morris 1/2 ton Pickup, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The Cambridge was updated in 1954 when it became the Austin A50 Cambridge and again in 1957 to become the Austin A55 Cambridge which stayed in production until the arrival of the Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II fitted with an all new Farina (as in Pinin) body.

Morris 1/2 ton Pickup, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The Austin Cambridge 1/2 ton pickup was first marketed in 1957 with the latest A55 panels incorporated into the cab with a 4 cylinder 51 hp B Series motor.

Morris 1/2 ton Pickup, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

From 1962 the Pickup was fitted with a unique to type grill and the 61 hp B Series motor from the Farina A60 Cambridge launched in 1961, and Australian spec A55 Cambridge Mk II which was launched in 1959. 1962 also saw the first of these vehicles marketed with the Morris name.

Morris 1/2 ton Pickup, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The Austin variant of the 1/2 ton pickup was dropped after Austin and Morris part of the British Motor Corporation was further merged with Leyland to become British Leyland in 1968. While the Morris variant continued in production until 1973. Despite having no further significant upgrades since 1962 the Morris 1/2 ton was still marketed with a “New, Tough and Versatile” strap line as late as 1968 !

Thanks for joining me on this “Badge Transformation” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow for a look at a Lamborghini Jarama. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Slough Pickup – Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup

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Citroën 2CV’s are usually thought of as more French than Croissant, but in fact not all 2CV’s were built in France, the last were built in Portugal and for a period in the 1950’s and 1960’s a number were also produced in Slough some of which like today’s featured 1955 Pickup were unique to the UK market.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Although the model did not prove a huge success with the British agricultural community at which it was aimed, in 1957 the Royal Navy saw the potential of the vehicle because it was both light enough to be lifted by the fleets largest helicopters and rugged enough to useful in the Malaysian jungle where an armed conflict; known as the Malaysian Emergency, where the Australian and British forces of the British Commonwealth were engaged against the insurgent Malayan National Liberation Army – the military arm of the Malaysian Communist Party, from 1948 – 1960.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Two batches making 65 2CV pickups in total were dispatched in 1959 and 1960 aboard HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark and deployed with the aid of the aforementioned helicopters in the Malaysian jungle.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Unique features of the 2CV pickups included the Butler head lights and Lucas sourced semaphore indicators and tail lights.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The dash had a unique British spec centrally mounted speedometer which could only be seen at night with the aid of a roof mounted interior light.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The original factory, as seen on this model at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham, colour options were also unique to the British built 2CV’s. From 1953 to 1962 just 130 of civilian and military 2CV pickups were built and just 2 civilian ones are in road worthy condition with a third in urgent need of restoration.

Thanks for joining me on this “Slough Pickup” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for the start of GALPOT’s celebration of the 50th year of Lamborghini car production. Don’t forget to come back now !

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7′ Bed – Volkswagen Caddy Typ 9U

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By 1996 Volkswagen’s design and production of their second generation Caddy’s had been farmed out to SEAT who were responsible for the Typ 9K van and Škoda who were responsible for the Typ 9U pick up featured today.

Volkswagen Pick Up, Bristol

Both the 9K and 9U were based on VW Polo Mk 111 AO3 platforms, the 9U Pick Up came with either a 75 hp petrol or 64 hp diesel motors.

Volkswagen Pick Up, Bristol

The 7′ / 2m bed is good for a carry a 1168 lb / 530 kgs load.

Volkswagen Pick Up, Bristol

Options were limited to twin airbags, standard in some markets, ABS brakes and air conditioning on models fitted with petrol motors.

Volkswagen Pick Up, Bristol

The Caddy Typ 9U was manufactured at Škoda’s Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic from 1996 to 2004.

Thanks for joining me on this “7′ bed” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Auctioneers Commercial – Austin 12 Pick Up

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Austin 12 Pick Up, Castle Combe

Today’s featured 1928 Austin 12 Pick Up is a regular visitor to the Castle Combe race circuit.

Austin 12 Pick Up, Castle Combe

This vehicle is powered by a 1861 cc / 113.5 cui 4 cylinder motor, the same as the Austin 12, later known as Heavy 12, motor cars.

Austin 12 Pick Up, Castle Combe

Austin 12’s were manufactured from 1921 to 1939 with a variety of body styles, the taxi version being the last and only version available from 1935 to 1939.

Austin 12 Pick Up, Castle Combe

In the late 1960’s an Austin 12 entered Children’s popular culture thanks to the Hungarian born writer and illustrator Val Biro’s illustrated Gumdrop books fictional stories based on the real Austin 12 that he owns.

Thanks for joining me on this “Auctioneers Commercial” edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Jet Pods – Chevrolet Apache 31 Fleetside

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Today’s featured pickup is a 1959 Chevrolet Apache 31 Fleetside which replaced the Chevrolet Cameo Carrier as GM’s sporty pick up.

Chevrolet Apache 31 Fleetside, Yanks Picnic, Shakespeare, County, Raceway,

Like all ’59 Task Force models this Apache 31 Fleetside features subtly updated four head lamp styling featuring a narrower bonnet/hood badge to the ’58 Task Force models. The Apache Fleetside pickups were marketed with the strap line, “These are the best-looking truck cabs that ever came down the road!”

Chevrolet Apache 31 Fleetside, Yanks Picnic, Shakespeare, County, Raceway,

Like the ’58 Apache’s power came for either a 3.9 litre / 235 cui Thriftmaster in-line six or 4.6 litre / 283 cui Taskmaster V8, this particular example is officially registered with a 6 litre / 366 cui motor of yet to be determined origin.

Chevrolet Apache 31 Fleetside, Yanks Picnic, Shakespeare, County, Raceway,

Styling queues on ’59 Apache reflect mans technological advance into the space age following the launch of Sputnik the worlds first satellite in October 1957. Regular GALPOT readers might remember the front wing / fender Apache logo on the ’58 Apache featured last week resembled a jet plane, for ’59 the Apache logo resembles a rocket emitting red flames.

Chevrolet Apache 31 Fleetside, Yanks Picnic, Shakespeare, County, Raceway,

The big styling feature that differentiated the ’58 Cameo Carrier from the ’59 Apache Fleetside was the rocket shaped “Jet Pods” incorporated into the cab width bodywork which ran into the round tail lights.

Chevrolet Apache 31 Fleetside, Yanks Picnic, Shakespeare, County, Raceway,

Like the narrow width cargo box Apache 31 the Fleetside was built on a 114 inch wheel base chassis with a six and a half foot cargo box.

Thanks for joining me on this “Jet Pods” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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