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‘I’ve always been more a van man than car man’ remarks Stephen Hitchcock and, as proof, he is the proud owner of not one but two Austin A35s.

The 1959 orange example has been a part of his fleet for the past two years and the grey (and red) 1960 model since 2004 - ‘I used it to advertise my business’.

And if you wish to attract positive attention, a 60-year-old Austin is one of the most the perfect methods.

Longbridge unveiled the A30 Van and Countryman in 1954, the latter fitted with side windows and a folding back seat.

BMC modified the rear suspension and altered the gear ratios while the list of optional extras included a front passenger seat.

‘Nimble in Congested Streets, Easy to Load and Comfortable to Drive, this Little Van has all the Attributes Required for Local Delivery Work’ raved Commercial Motor, who also praised the 60 cu ft. load bay.

One advertisement was captioned ‘The baker who uses his loaf’ for his A30 was apparently ‘as agile as an eel’ in busy streets.

The range was upgraded in 1956 as the A35 with a slightly larger engine (and a painted radiator grille), and the two and four-door saloons were discontinued in 1959, shortly after Austin introduced the A40 “Farina”.

However, the A35 Countryman and Van remained in production until 1962 and 1968 respectively.

The British Motor Corporation may have also produced Minor light commercial and, from 1960, the Mini Van, but demand for the Austin remained strong.

One reason for this continued popularity was that it was more compact than the Morris and the perfect runabout for a local grocer’s shop or jobbing gardener.

Another was that in the 1960s many British motorists still regarded FWD and transverse engines with some suspicion.

Thirdly, brand loyalty within the BMC Empire remained strong; indeed, an Austin-badged version of the Minor succeeded the A35 Van.

The 1,098cc A-series engine powered later versions of the Austin - ‘this new power unit endows the van with an extremely good road performance in terms of economy, acceleration and so forth’ mused Commercial Motor.

The RAC and Wiltshire Constabulary employed A35 Vans while many private motorists often fitted their Austin with an aftermarket rear seat and extra windows, thus saving on Purchase Tax.

One distinguishing factor between a genuine Countryman and a home-built model was, as Stephen points out, ‘the Van had a roof vent’.

Stephen finds that his Austins ‘handle well’ and as for their (admittedly limited) creature comforts, ‘people often moan about their heating, but mine seemed to work fine at the meetings in Brooklands and Bicester.

One thing you do have to do is to make sure the doors are properly sealed; otherwise, it can be pretty nippy around the earholes!’, One odd detail was that while the saloons were equipped with amber flashing indicators, the Vans retained trafficators until 1962 – ‘I know a very clever electrician who made the semaphore arms flash’.

The orange van guest-starred in the 2017 Goodwood Revival and Stephen remarks ‘for a 60-year-old van the A35 is ideal for purpose’.

Above all, the Hitchcock Austins are vehicles of quite remarkable charm, from the “orange segment” speedometer to the “fencer’s mask” radiator grille.

And wherever Stephen’s classics roam, they always ‘draw a good mixture of comments’, including ‘this was my first van’ – so here’s to the next six decades of A35 motoring.