Commer Spacevan

The Commer FC was a forward control commercial vehicle produced by Commer from 1960 to 1976. During its lifespan, it was developed into the Commer PB in 1967, and the Commer SpaceVan in 1974. After the Rootes Group, which owned Commer, was purchased by Chrysler, the SpaceVan was also sold under the Dodge and Fargo marques. From 1976 onwards, the van was only sold as the Dodge SpaceVan, and it remained in production until 1983.

History

Commer became known in later years as a maker of vans for the British Post Office—particularly the Commer FC which was introduced in 1960 with many body styles, including a van. After engine and interior upgrades it was renamed the PB in 1967 and the ''SpaceVan'' in 1974. Following the merger of Rootes Group with Chrysler to form Chrysler Europe, the SpaceVan was sold as a Dodge and Fargo model until 1976, when both Commer and Fargo names were dropped. These were rounded-front forward-control vans with narrow front track—a legacy of their Humber car-derived suspension. Utilising at first the Hillman-derived four-cylinder engine in the PA series, then the larger , and from 1968 onwards the unit in the PB, only the cast-iron-head version of this engine were used. A Perkins 4108 diesel was also available.

The "1725 cc engine" (as it is known; it actually displaces ) was available in the 1970s with a Borg Warner (BW) Model 35 three-speed automatic transmission with a dashboard-mounted selector. This was not a popular option and few were built.

The four-speed gearbox on manual transmission models was based on those fitted to contemporary Hillman Minx (of the "Audax" generation) and later Rootes Arrow series cars such as the Hillman Hunter.

An unusual feature of the model was that the handbrake operated on the front drum brakes.

One of the reasons that the van was less popular with fleet operators than the Bedford and Ford Transit models it sold against was that, as on the BMC J2 and J4 models the forward-control design restricted access to the engine and made engine changes labour-intensive; the only way to remove the engine without dropping the suspension subframe was to crane the engine out through the passenger door. A 1974 road test of a motor caravan version fitted with the 1725 cc engine reported a maximum speed of and a 0–50 mph (80 km/h) time of 25 seconds, indicating a higher top speed but, in this form, slower acceleration than the BMC competitor. However, the testers reported that at the van was "plainly at its absolute limit, screaming away in a most distressing fashion"; readers were advised to view as a more realistic absolute maximum.

Reportedly, one condition of the government bailout of Chrysler's British operations in 1976 was a commitment to upgrade the Spacevan, which was praised for its brakes, cornering, and price, but criticized for its power, comforts, and top speed. A revised Spacevan was thus introduced in 1977, using the same mechanicals but with numerous cosmetic changes, conveniences, and a new interior. Although outdated by its demise in 1982, by which time Commer had been taken over by Peugeot, the Spacevan remained a familiar sight in the UK thanks to its role with Post Office Telephones – which was almost solely responsible for it remaining in production for so long and these vans and outstanding orders were inherited by British Telecom on its formation in October 1981. By this time, there were three engines: two 1.7 L petrol engines of either (with low compression) or (with high compression), and a 1.8-liter Perkins diesel engine with , with a four-speed manual transmission and no automatic available. The last Spacevan was built in 1983.

Discontinuation

By the 1970s the vehicle was becoming outdated, and by the 1980s, only the Post Office Telephones were buying the vans. By that time it was produced by Renault Trucks, that had taken control of the truck division of Chrysler Europe, that started producing the Dodge 50 Series vans as a replacement. By 1982 the Renault Trafic started getting exported to the United Kingdom, which was later followed by the larger Renault Master vehicle so it was clear the Spacevan was going to soon stop being produced.

In 1983 it was eventually discontinued, although Spacevans were still being sold as late as 1984. The 50 Series vans were kept in production until 1992, by that time being re-badged as Renaults, were eventually replaced by the Renault Master vehicle. The Trafic and Master started getting locally produced in the United Kingdom in 1997 by Vauxhall Motors, in a joint venture with Renault, in their IBC Vehicles plant, itself a successor to Bedford Vehicles.

New Zealand production

This van was produced in New Zealand by Todd Motors at their Petone Factory. It was last produced in 1974 in their secondary body factory on the other side to the railway tracks from the main car assembly plant. They produced a standard panel van, a mini bus body with sliding side windows, and cab and chassis models. The seats for the mini bus were produced by other coach builders. They used the high compression steel head motors; not the alloy head Hillman Hunter units.

Generally, one unit was produced in the morning and another unit in the afternoon; i.e. 10 units per week, a third unit could be produced each day when sales were higher.

References

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FC
Vans
Vehicles introduced in 1960
1970s cars
1980s cars