Lovingly restored by Sheila Wakley, also affectionately known as “Budgie” in her local car club, this van was returned to its original livery and in full mechanical order before being bequeathed to the Museum’s collection.

Wakley single-handedly rebuilt this Series V van, carrying out all of the mechanical work and welding required before collecting and fitting equipment that was faithful to the original specification. The restoration won many awards and she was invited to drive the van in the Lord Mayor’s procession in London in 1999 before her death.

The General Post Office (GPO) was the impetus for Morris producing a replacement for their ageing Z van. The GPO was the new Minor 6 Cwt Van’s biggest customer (Cwt is the British imperial unit of weight meaning “hundredweight” and signified the cargo-carrying capacity of a vehicle). By the end of production that started in 1953, over 300,000 vans and pick-ups had been manufactured. The van differed from the standard Morris Minor in that it was built on a frame chassis and had a more spartan interior and less brightwork. 

The GPO used the vans for their telephone engineers and postal workers and included increased security, a special interior trim, mirrors to GPO specification, extra brackets on the chassis and a particular choice of engine. Early GPO vans were even fitted with rubber front wings in an effort to reduce damage. The advertisement board on the side of this van featuring “Buzby” is the only discrepancy - the yellow bird was part of a marketing campaign that wasn’t launched until 1976.