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This letter was received from Gary & Janet Austin in February 2007
For some time I have meant to write to you regarding AA vehicles and there livery. Your request for information on Morris Minors with rail in the same yellow has prompted me to put pen to paper as it were.
Early in the nineteen sixties I was an AA man and witnessed the change over from bikes to vans. Whilst the bikes were in the majority prior to the change over to vans there were a few S1 & S11 SWB Landrover's as well as Bedford CA vans which were used mainly for sign erection.
The first minivans in old livery were introduced
in 1962/63 (long whip gear stick) none of the AA minivans had removable
chrome grilles they were yellow and fixed as part of the front assembly,
also they were fitted with standard small hub-caps as opposed to those
with the wheel trim around the out side. Another major change came in
1966 with the introduction of another large batch of minivans (shorter
gear stick) and a large number of Thames 7cwt vans (Anglia Vans) also as
we were led to understand all of the final production of Austin Gypsy.
It
was after this change that the livery was altered and the next major
delivery of vans was 1969 when more mini vans appeared (remote gear
stick) as well as quantity of Bedford HA vans Ford Transits and Austin
7cwt vans (there was no Morris Minor vans ever and there were no Austin
7cwt in old livery). More Austin 7cwt vans appeared in 1970 followed by
the new Ford 7cwt van in 1971 (Escort van). Short wheel base Landrover's
regularly appeared during the 60s and 70s as well as a few Ford Transits
of varying specification. Short wheel base diesel & petrol sliding doors
and standard opening doors. Long wheel base diesel with high roof
standard doors, most of the minis were eventually replaced with Austin
and Ford 7cwt vans.
1974 introduced the first Relay trucks and the rest as they say is history. For your information AA patrols/sergeants & inspectors had ordinary AA vans the Chief Inspector had a Grey mini saloon. The only external extra being the long radio aerial.
During the 1960s I often met a driver of a yellow rail Morris Minor who would complain that he was often flagged down by motorists in distress as they thought he was an AA man. The shade of yellow was almost identical to the AA yellow and only the most observant would notice that there was no orange beacon on the roof to show the difference when you were approaching the vehicle head on.
The old livery and indeed new livery signs were mounted in the middle of the roof on all Mini Ford Vauxhall and Austin vans.
I trust the above is of some interest.
Regards
Gary J Austin
PS I collect model AA vans
3rd February 2007
An email from Graham in February 2008
Dear Taff,
I have meant to write to you regarding the letter from Gary J Austin regarding AA vehicles and their livery. There were a couple of points I would like to add to if I may.
Although I have no personal knowledge whether there were ever any
Morris Minor vans. I have found various photographs featuring them
(please see attached).
My father was an AA patrol from the sixties and worked his way up through the ranks until retiring.
In the late seventies / early eighties he was promoted to sergeant and was issued with a Ford Escort mk2 estate this had the same livery as the standard vans of the time but featured a removable orange beacon which could be fixed to the roof with a magnet if required and plugged into the cigar lighter. The estate car was later abandoned and he was issued with a normal van the same as other patrols.
Upon being promoted to inspector (late eighties / early nineties) he
was issued with an Austin Maestro
hatchback. This had the same livery as
the other vehicles and again featured the removable beacon. The insignia
on the doors was printed on flexible magnets so could be removed and the
car be used for private use (although the car still retained the
distinctive reflective stripe down each side).
My father had a good collection of AA memorabilia which I inherited when he recently passed away. Among other items there is a reasonable collection of diecast, which I have been adding to (with your help) so please keep them coming, a Bedford HA in AA livery would be very welcome.
Kind Regards
Graham Ballem
Southampton
