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The British Motor Corporation unveiled the Austin and Morris Mini Van in 1960, and when production ceased twenty-two years later, they were as much part of everyday life as ageing punks mooching around the local Wimpy Bar.

To celebrate six decades of this remarkable vehicle here are five of its strongest competitors of the 1960s and 1970s…

Austin A35 Van

When Commercial Motor tested the Mini Van in June 1960, they lauded the 'novel constructional features to provide remarkably large load space within compact overall dimensions' and noted 'Technical departures from conventional .commercial-vehicle practice include transverse engines, front-wheel drive and all independent rubber suspension'.

They also noted how the internal body dimensions were 'almost identical to those of the Austin A35 5-cwt. van, which is over 7 in. longer overall'.

However, the latter was compact and was able to carry 60 cu ft. of goods and was mechanically very straight forward.

Back in 1955 CM found its A30 predecessor offered 'rapid acceleration from rest, good cornering ability and a small steering lock make for excellent manoeuvrability in traffic and enable high average speeds to be maintained on the " back-double " routes often favoured by delivery-van drivers'.

By 1960 thousands of operators were less concerned with vagaries of fashion than the fact that the A35 boasted the same combination of virtues. It remained in production until as recently as 1968, with the post-1962 versions available with the 1,098cc version of the A-series engine.

Renault 4 Fourgonnette

If the Mini Van was probably the first FWD vehicle to be considered by the shop owner or local tradesperson, the Renault R4 was probably the second.

The Fourgonnette debuted in 1962 – the five-door saloon made its bow in the previous year -  and in 1963 Commercial Motor positively raved that:

Advertisements for the Renault 4L insist that it is a remarkable car. After testing the 6-cwt. van version I would say that this is perfectly true.

At least it is the most remarkable vehicle that I have ever driven; not so much from conventional aspects such as performance, acceleration, braking and so on, but because so many things about it are different to the normal run of vehicle.

One of the most charming options of the 4 was the "g" hinged section of the roof above the rear door while the specification included a heater (still unusual for a light van in the early 1960s) and fresh air vents.

As the Renault was designed for the roads of rural France, the suspension was able to cope with most British B-roads - and the 4 possessed joie de vivre that few rivals could offer.

Commer/Hillman Imp Van

In 1965 the Rootes Group replaced their existing Commer Cob – which was essentially a shortened van derivative of the Hillman Minx – with an Imp Van. To circumvent any problems with building a small commercial with a rear-engine, Rootes ensured the load bay was tall enough to accommodate an upright milk churn, and an impressed Commercial Motor wrote:

the Imp provides a total payload space of 73 cu. ft. This is made up of a cargo space of 50 cu. ft. behind the driver, 14 cu. ft. beside the driver, 6 cu. ft. under the front end of the floor and 3 cu. ft. under the bonnet behind the spare wheel, the 6-gal. fuel tank being installed below the storage compartment.

One notable economy was the lack of an opening quarter light on the passenger door, and the scribe from CM also complained:

The problem in the steering was that of oversteer. While this could be accommodated when travelling at low speeds, I found the 20.5 miles of motorway quite a demanding journey and would certainly not have liked to complete a very long high-speed journey with a deadline at the end.

However, the new Imp was clearly a vehicle of great potential and looked set to become a highly viable Mini rival.

In 1968 the Commer was rebadged as the Hillman Imp Van, and the brochures extolled the virtues of its heater and front passenger seat as standard equipment, not to mention the 'brilliant new colour schemes'. But production ceased in 1970, despite the Imp's many virtues.

Citroën Ami 8 Service

By the mid-1960s the Citroën Ami 6 was a ubiquitous sight throughout France, but in the UK, they were available only to 'special order'.

However, the 1969 Ami 8 proved far more successful on this side of the Channel, due in part to their more orthodox appearance, and the Service was the perfect vehicle for any business who regarded themselves a cut above your average High Street emporium.

The specification includes a steering column lock and a grille blanking plate (for those winter months).

By 1970 Commercial Motor thought the Ami 'really comes into its own if one has a light and very urgent load to transport a fair distance for it does this sort of job rapidly and for very low petrol costs — and, not unimportantly, luxuriously for the driver'.

Who could ask for more in a van?

Reliant Robin

The first point – there is no such vehicle as a “Robin Reliant", which is on a par with referring to the "Cortina Ford", and secondly Only Fools and Horses used the earlier Regals.

Thirdly, in the 1970s there were still many motorists who only held a motorcycle licence, and finally, the Robin did have several advantages, It was economical, the GRP body did not rust, the Road Fund license cost a mere £16 per annum, and a Super Robin Van cost just £1,443.26 in 1976. The list of standard equipment even included nylon upholstery and front auxiliary lamps.

The chaps at Commercial Motor noted how their test Robin was delivered 'with a 250kg (550Ib) load of sandbags, pushed well towards the front of the van.

In this condition town driving was quite acceptable—in fact, it almost felt as though the van had four wheels'. By contrast, motorway driving presented more of a challenge and:

Overtaking high-sided vehicles was a nerve-racking manoeuvre at speeds above 80km/h (50mph), with the Reliant being blown off course when meeting the cross-wind as it passed the front of the vehicle being overtaken.

To be fair, most Robin users were probably more concerned with the 40cu. ft of luggage behind the front seats than attempting a dash along the M27. N.B. there is still no such vehicle as a "Robin Reliant".

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limit mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your classic today.