1944 Fordson 10cwt Van
Registration no. GYE 578
Chassis no. C243175

Fordson was the name under which commercial and agricultural vehicles produced at Ford's plant in Dagenham, Essex were sold in the UK. The name was first applied in 1917 to the Model F tractor, an immensely influential design that remains one of the world's best-selling tractors, with almost three-quarters of a million produced up to 1928. Production-line methods pioneered on the ubiquitous Model T car enabled Ford to offer the Fordson F at a knocked-down price, forcing many smaller specialist tractor firms out of business. Facing a depressed market, Ford closed its US tractor plants in the mid/late 1920s and transferred production to Cork in Ireland and later to Dagenham in Essex.

Alongside motor cars and tractors, Dagenham also produced light commercial vehicles such as the Fordson E83W 10cwt van. Introduced in 1938, the forward-control Fordson van was also available as a pick-up or estate car, while during WW2 the model was adapted to fulfil roles such as mobile canteens, fire tenders, and ambulances. The Fordson was powered by Ford's ubiquitous 1,172cc sidevalve engine, driving via a three-speed gearbox and low-ratio rear axle; the latter enabled it to cope with the 10cwt maximum payload, though it did restrict top speed. Somewhat surprisingly, apart from the engine, gearbox internals, and some switchgear, no mechanical components were shared with the contemporary Ford Ten saloon, while the van's forward-control layout meant that its chassis and body panels were unique to the model. The E93W was manufactured until 1958, latterly under the Ford Thames brand name, by which time over 188,000 had been made.

Originally used as a delivery van in North Wales, this 10cwt Fordson was purchased from one John Brown circa 20 years ago, and in recent times has been on display at the British Engineerium museum at Hove, East Sussex. Restored during 2016/2017, it has been used sparingly and remains in commensurately very good condition (malfunctioning trafficators is the only notified fault). Accompanying documentation consists of an old-style logbook and a V5 registration document.