Plywood Minor Special
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 8:20 pm
Whilst browsing through CAR MECHANICS October 1960 I came across an article relating to a Plywood Minor Special and is reproduced below:-
"It is not often that an enthusiast thinks in terms of using wood as a material for a vehicle, and it is even less often that he makes a success of its use. The Morris Comercial chassis-based four seater conceived and built by N. Atkins, 42, Aston Crescent, Leeds 13, must certainly be one of the most successful ever made. This owner required a car that was not a speed-limited commercial, but which would have to carry quantities of camping gear , and four people in comfort, and which would have a good ground clearance and which would also handle well over rough ground. The answer, seen here, took 1250 man hours to build, and is made of 285 sq ft of plywood and 2016 screws. It is exceptionally light in weight by virtue of the ply construction and very rigid. The total cost including the purchase tax involved was 540 pounds. It has a convertible roof and a tonneau roof"
There is a photo and if I can work out how to attach it I will do so.
The reference to 'speed-limited' refers to a limit of 40mph on vehicles exempt from purchase tax (i.e. commercial vehicles), as I discovered when pulled over by the police when driving my A35 van over 40mph. Now showing my age!
Has anyone heard of or seen the special as described above and more importantly is it still around?
"It is not often that an enthusiast thinks in terms of using wood as a material for a vehicle, and it is even less often that he makes a success of its use. The Morris Comercial chassis-based four seater conceived and built by N. Atkins, 42, Aston Crescent, Leeds 13, must certainly be one of the most successful ever made. This owner required a car that was not a speed-limited commercial, but which would have to carry quantities of camping gear , and four people in comfort, and which would have a good ground clearance and which would also handle well over rough ground. The answer, seen here, took 1250 man hours to build, and is made of 285 sq ft of plywood and 2016 screws. It is exceptionally light in weight by virtue of the ply construction and very rigid. The total cost including the purchase tax involved was 540 pounds. It has a convertible roof and a tonneau roof"
There is a photo and if I can work out how to attach it I will do so.
The reference to 'speed-limited' refers to a limit of 40mph on vehicles exempt from purchase tax (i.e. commercial vehicles), as I discovered when pulled over by the police when driving my A35 van over 40mph. Now showing my age!
Has anyone heard of or seen the special as described above and more importantly is it still around?