Morris Commercial J Type Van
Morris J van followed the emerging trend of having forward controls and sliding doors on each side. It was made in both left and right hand drive versions.
As well as complete vehicles, the Morris J type was also supplied in chassis form to external body makers and it appeared, amongst other uses, as a pick-up, tipper truck, ice cream van and milk float.
Many Morris J Van were bought by the British Post Office and these differed from standard in having rubber front and rear wings.
The Morris J type is fitted with a 1476 cc four-cylinder side-valve engine based on the one used in the contemporary Morris Oxford MO car. Drive to the rear wheels is through a three-speed gearbox and initially a spiral bevel type rear axle, later replaced by a hypoid type.
The easiclean wheels in Morris J gave way to pressed steel disc items, whilst the front grille, headlamp/sidelight units, and many other items were redesigned before full production commenced.
In 1949 Geneva Commercial Vehicle Show, Morris van still had the soon-to-be-discarded easiclean wheels, but also had a front chrome bumper unlike anything seen subsequently.
In 1939 Morris Commercial had introduced the 15/20 cwt PV model, with a forward control layout similar to that subsequently used in the J type. Although few were made before the outbreak of the Second World War brought production to a halt. Production resumed in 1945.
Morris Commercial post-war management meeting minutes indicate that the J-type was being designed to take a new flat-4 engine under development alongside the smaller flat-4 that was being evaluated for the Morris Minor. Neither engine got the go-ahead due to cost considerations.