Keep Oppo 1980s European vans.

"not for canada - australian in disguise" (for-canada) 05/16/2018 at 00:10 • Filed to: VANS, RAMBLY POSTS ABOUT ODD SUBJECTS, LDV, MERCEDES T1, VW LT, IVECO, IVECO DAILY, SAIC, CHIYNA, ROVER

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Something about the European vans of this era make them really appealing to me. Probably because they’re so different to the Econolines and Ram Vans that dotted the streets of North America before the age of global vans like the ProMaster/Ducato and the Transit. Like this Mercedes T1. Completely function over form. And that’s what makes it great.

There was also the VW LT, which was like a giant Vanagon. It was also front engined, unlike the Vanagon. Also unlike the Vanagon, I don’t believe you could ever get one with an air cooled engine. Interestingly, the LT and T1 were actually replaced by the same car, the Sprinter for Mercedes, and the related Crafter for VW.

There was also the Iveco Daily. Which, from 1985 onwards, you could get with a turbo, which was still quite novel for a van.

The Daily also came in several other flavours. There was the Fiat Daily, and the Alfa Romeo AR8. Alfa actually had a long history of making commercial vehicles, but after the AR8 (and it’s smaller Fiat Ducato-based cousin, the AR6) that history was to end, with only Fiat and Iveco making commercial vehicles until Fiat purchased Chrysler back in 2009.

And finally there was the Freight Rover Sherpa. Like the similarly named Land Rover range, the Freight Rover brand was created by, well, Rover. This time to make commercial vehicles that weren’t trucks (those were for Leyland) which are also known as vans. Freight Rover became Leyland DAF in 1987 after the Dutch truck manufacturer purchased Rover Group’s commercial vehicle business. Leyland DAF later became LDV after DAF self destructed (although they were saved by PACCAR, most known in North America and Australasia too as the owners of Peterbilt and Kenworth) , was bought by the Russian company GAZ in 2006, and then subsequently went bust in 2009.

These days, they’re owned by the Chinese (SAIC to be specific, the same people that also bought MG Rover, although they can’t use the Rover name because of BMW), and they’re back selling vans in countries like the UK and Australia. Although this time around they’re also selling pickups and an SUV, the D90. So in a rather weird turn of events, what became of Freight Rover is now basically directly competing with it’s former companion brand Land Rover.

Funny old world we live in.

FSI > not for canada - australian in disguise 05/16/2018 at 00:25

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A few more vans

DipodomysDeserti > FSI 05/16/2018 at 00:41

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Europe in the ‘80s was the most hipster of all timelines.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > not for canada - australian in disguise 05/16/2018 at 01:54

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Still sold in the 80's, so it counts

pip bip - choose Corrour > not for canada - australian in disguise 05/16/2018 at 05:53

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bhtooefr > not for canada - australian in disguise 05/16/2018 at 06:24

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It gets even weirder with the LT vs. T1.

The second-gen LT was also a Sprinter (the first-gen Crafter was the second-gen Sprinter). And the third-gen Crafter is now its own thing independent of the Sprinter, and has both FWD and RWD variants (like the Transit has for the current and previous generation, actually).

And, well, it gets even weirder, with the Kenworth/Peterbilt 13-210 - a Volkswagen LT cab on a heavier duty Chrysler-designed frame, built by Volkswagen do Brazil (and sold there as the Worker), and sold in the US market as a Class 7:

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > not for canada - australian in disguise 05/16/2018 at 07:37

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I see your various Euro vans and raise you one Polish Nysa!

Built from the 70s until 1994, this one was the last to roll off the line:

:D

They were based on the Soviet GAZ Probeda along with the other big Polish van, the Zuk . I love them because they look sort of frumpy, but yet were common workhorses there for years and have a very utilitarian charm to them (I love the Zuk too!) :)

Babz > not for canada - australian in disguise 05/16/2018 at 08:19

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The 2nd gen LT was the one which opened up the deal with Mercedes and their Sprinter, this continues now with the Crafter and 2nd gen Sprinter.

Also, MORE 80's VANS !

FSI > DipodomysDeserti 05/17/2018 at 00:10

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I was definitely born 20 years too late:(