1965 Morris LD30 Mk. III “Wandsworth” Ambulance
26th March, 2020
This is our tribute to the London Ambulance Service whose personnel voluntarily maintain a priceless historic fleet.
One of the star exhibits is the Morris LD30 Mk. III “Wandsworth”.
It is a vehicle that was once as much a part of life in the capital as an Austin FX4 taxi or a police Wolseley 6/110, and one associated with countless films and television productions.
BMC discontinued the LD in 1967, but countless Londoners still recall the sound of the ringing gong of a Wandsworth ambulance heading towards an RTA.
Fifty-four years ago, London County Council decided to replace its Daimler DC27s with a new line-up based on the BMC LD2 chassis.
The service’s workshop in Wandsworth devised the coachwork, and the result was the authority’s first GRP-bodied ambulance.
The third generation version which offered more power and a double-skinned body debuted in 1963.
A reporter from Commercial Motor magazine “travelled for several miles lying on the stretcher bed and was highly impressed with the smoothness of the ride: it was certainly far and away better than I have experienced with other ambulances”.
The 1st of April saw the creation of the London Ambulance Service, who used almost 1,000 vehicles - of which the Morris is said to be the oldest survivor.
CYC is fitted with her original equipment including an amplifier for the bell mounted above the driver’s door and Selectaride adjustable dampers to ensure a smooth ride for the patient.
Power is from a 2.2-litre engine and the top speed is 45 mph.
The restoration of the Wandsworth can be seen on the Collection’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/London-Ambulance-Service-Historic-Collection-648346912200549/.
Five years ago, CYC was reunited with her original crew, and she was recently the subject of a major profile in The Daily Telegraph.
Above all, hundreds - if not thousands – of people owe their lives to ambulances such as this Morris and the frontline staff of the London Ambulance Service.
WITH THANKS TO – ANDY WHATLING AND EVERYONE IN THE LONDON AMBULANCE HISTORIC VEHICLE COLLECTION https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/about-us/historic-vehicle-collection/
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