So, the Classic Motor Show is over for another year!

More than 71,000 visitors spent time in the eight halls, viewing 300 club stands and some 3000 vehicles. Despite being such a small Register, our display got a mention in Classic and Sports Car’s digital review, along with a photo of our stand. “A wonderful assembly of J-Type vans…” praise indeed!

With the show falling on the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the organisers had sent round, a few months ago, a note asking clubs to consider ways of marking this. Difficult when our vans only came along much later and even Morris~Commercial would not come into existence until some six years after WW1 ended, so we couldn’t even make  a big thing out of the war effort (which we undoubtedly could do with WW2).

Next year the Organisers are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the show, with the date already set for 8/9/10 November. Let’s hope we are offered a stand again.

One of the gallery photos shows what we achieved with the full-size relatives. They were much photographed and commented on, including by someone who introduced herself to us to explain that she was a cousin, or something, of Mike’s wife as she too had the very same photo at home. That must have been an amazing feeling, to be walking round the show and be confronted in such a way!

The Aussies have had a great time organising the Motorclassica and Bendigo 70th Anniversary events.

Six vans were on show at Motorclassica in Melbourne, whilst an impressive thirteen turned out for the Bendigo event. A fourteenth van turned up for the Sunday afternoon at the Morris Minor Garage.

Motorclassica (click on any photo to enlarge)

Bendigo (click on any photo to enlarge)

Morris Minor Garage, Harcourt (click on any photo to enlarge)

Meanwhile, back in the UK, the Classic Motor Show is on at the NEC, Birmingham. We have four vans on display. More photos to follow.

Australia will be the place to be in October, with two ‘must see’ displays:

The Morris J type Register (Australia) will be getting vans together for Melbourne’s MotorClassica Show, October 13/14/15

The following weekend is the ‘big one’ – the 70th Anniversary Get-together at Bendigo, Victoria, October 19/20/21, also organised by the Oz Register.

We have heard from the organisers of the NEC Classic Motor Show that we have been given space to display again in November. Our allocation is stand no. 3-160 in Hall 3.

The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show runs from Friday 9 – Sunday 11 November, at The NEC Birmingham UK

www.necclassicmotorshow.com

So that’s another J-type Anniversary in the bag. The clock’s now ticking down to Father’s Day weekend in 2023, which by my reckoning is 1,825 days away!

We have already had an email from member John Davies, from which I quote: “a wonderful weekend that has been enjoyed so much by Register Members and Public alike, and as we said, very much like those happy days at Tatton”.

I would like to use this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to Gary Sumner and his wife Heather for all the effort they put into making the ‘J-vanniversary’ such a  success. The goody bags and contents that they provided were much appreciated by those who brought along a van (I know that an owner left without picking one up, but this will be put to one side until it can be handed over).

Thanks also to those who brought their vans along, and ‘thanks for trying’ to the two that had to give up on their attempt following mechanical problems.

And a big Thank You also to the Museum staff. You would struggle to find a more willing, friendly and courteous bunch of people. I have already asked them to set aside the same weekend in 2023!

Well, that’s the first day over and an enjoyable one too. Seven vans turned up, as well as a number of Register members who were unable to bring theirs.

Tomorrow we are hoping to double the total!

Meanwhile at Anglia Car Auctions we hear that the Morris J/B Post Office Telephones Utility sold for £17,000 plus the usual fees and the dreaded VAT. So perhaps we should say “Come along to Wythall and see a quarter of a million Pounds-worth of J-types, J/Bs and an Austin 101”

Spend Father’s Day weekend in the company of J-types and their owners and fellow enthusiasts.

Turn up in a J-type, a J/B or a 101 to gain free entry for driver and passenger, and a goody bag containing lots of J-stuff.

Members turning up without a van will have to pay the Museum’s very reasonable Admission charges.

Coming up for sale at Anglia Car Auctions, AND WITH NO RESERVE, is this ex GPO Utility which the Register lost touch with about 25 years ago.

The auction is on the Saturday of the Anniversary rally at Wythall, so will be a talking point for sure.

Australian Register member, Craig Richardson travelled the equivalent of Calais to Istanbul to rescue a J van. J/R 6005 is now on the Australian mainland being prepared to be at the Australian 70th anniversary in October. A full report on Craig’s weekend away will be in Review 47.

949 BYY has sold at auction for a very reasonable £13,000 +fees, and has found a new home with a Register member. More details to follow.

A rather strange bit of news to see out 2017. We can announce that Ray Kings’ Planners van, 949 BYY, has been consigned to a forthcoming auction at the Birmingham-based auction house of Biddle and Webb.

It has been placed in their January 13th auction of ‘jewellery, silver, watches and interiors’ starting at 10am. The van has not yet been allocated a lot number, but it has been valued at an estimated £10,000 to £12,000, plus buyer’s fees. For a van that is in running order and with an amount of bodywork requiring attention, this seems a surprisingly conservative estimate – it really should sell for more.

We cannot believe that this is what Ray would have wanted to happen to his van, but he passed away without leaving any will. This should be a lesson to us all!

We have been informed that the van and related items can be viewed at the following times:

Saturday 6th January, 10am-12noon
Thursday 11th January, 12noon-4pm
Friday 12th January, 10am to 4pm