Thames Trader

Last updated
Thames Trader
Thames Trader reg DAP 104B.jpg
1964 Thames Trader Mark 2 recovery vehicle
Overview
Manufacturer Ford UK
Production1957-1965
Assembly Dagenham, England
Istanbul, Turkey
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door pickup
2-door van
double decker bus
Layout FR layout
Powertrain
Engine
  • petrol:
  • 3261 cc 505E I4
  • 4891 cc 508E I6
  • diesel:
  • 3613 cc 530E (4D) I6
  • 5419 cc 510E (6D) I6
Dimensions
Wheelbase 118.0 in (2,997 mm)
138.0 in (3,505 mm)
152.0 in (3,861 mm)
160.0 in (4,064 mm)
108.0 in (2,743 mm)
Length5,300–7,500 mm (209–295 in)
Curb weight 1,690–8,990 kg (3,726–19,820 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor Ford FK
Fordson Thames ET
Successor Ford D-Series (forward control)
Ford A-Series (normal control)

The Thames Trader was a range of trucks manufactured by Ford UK built between 1957 and 1965.

Contents

Forward Control models

Design

The distinctive cab design, which sets it apart from other British commercial vehicles, was a forward-control (or semi-forward control) design and the Thames Trader model covered a much wider weight range than the existing normal control ET Thames model or the earlier forward control 7V model. Both these earlier models had been based on Ford of America designs; the new Thames Trader was the first heavy commercial to be designed by Ford of Britain (although looking at the headlight surrounds suggests a family resemblance to the American Ford C series truck of the mid 1950s).

Mechanicals and wheelbase types

The Thames Trader model range covered weights from 2 to 7 tons, powered by either petrol or diesel engines in four- or six-cylinder guises. The lower-weight vehicles were available with 118- and 138-inch wheelbases, the heavy weight vehicle with 138-, 152- and 160-inch wheelbases; there was also a 108-inch tipper wheelbase. In addition there was a low-frame chassis model – typically used for furniture van bodywork.

The engines were all from the Dagenham engine family, originally developed for the Fordson tractor in 1952 but updated to Mark 2 specifications for the Thames Trader. [1] All have a 115 mm (4.53 in) stroke; the petrol engines received a 95 mm (3.74 in) bore and the diesels 100 mm (3.94 in). The four-cylinder petrol engine displaces 199 cu in (3.3 L; 3,261 cc) and initially produced 68 bhp (51 kW) at 2,800 rpm, while the six-cylinder petrol is of 298 cu in (4.9 L; 4,891 cc) and produces 110 bhp (82 kW) at 2,800 rpm. [2] The smaller diesel is of 220 cu in (3.6 L; 3,613 cc) and produces 70 bhp (52 kW) at 2,500 rpm, the 6D engine displaces 331 cu in (5.4 L; 5,419 cc) and produces 100 bhp (75 kW) at 2,500 rpm. The engines were mounted at a 45° slant to allow for more space above. [1]

Mk2

A Mk 2 version was introduced in mid-1962. Externally it is very easy to differentiate between Mk1 and Mk2 versions; the Mk1 has the words THAMES TRADER in red on a chrome strip along the bottom of the bonnet opening and the white painted grill between the headlights has a vertical divider with a red circular badge with 4 stars, whereas the Mk2 has just the word THAMES under the bonnet, and TRADER in white letters spaced out between the headlights replacing the divider and badge. The Mk2 Diesel engined variants had either a 4D or 6D chrome badge on each front wing, on the Mk1 it was a squarish chrome badge with either a red painted 4, 6, 4D, or 6D to indicate the engine configuration. The lower edge of the badge had a horizontal chrome strip running the length of the lower part of the wing.

Normal Control models

Ford commenced production of the Thames Trader NC at the Dagenham factory in England in early 1962. [3] It used the cabin developed by Ford Germany for their slow-selling Ford Köln truck, which had been discontinued in 1961. The NC designation indicated "normal control", [4] as opposed to "forward control". The lighter duty Thames NC was initially fitted only with the four-cylinder petrol or diesel engine, now producing 73 and 70 bhp (54 and 52 kW) respectively. The first models ranged between 1.5 and 5 long tons (1,520 and 5,080 kg) capacity and replaced the earlier, semi-forward control Thames Trader of the same weights. [5] After the discontinuation of the Thames brand in 1965 the NC was re-designated as the K Series. [4] Ford Europe did not return to the market segment for normal control heavy-duty vans until 1973 with the Ford A-Series, which was based on the smaller Ford Transit.

London Transport use

A bus designed to transport bicycles through the Dartford Tunnel in 1963 Dartford Tunnel bus.jpg
A bus designed to transport bicycles through the Dartford Tunnel in 1963

London Transport ordered five double decker buses based on the Thames Trader for special duties, taking cyclists through the Dartford Tunnel. These had a lower deck purpose built for carrying bicycles, with the upper deck for cyclists. Unusually, these buses had their stairwell several feet above the level of the road, accessible by a ladder. The service was later dropped in 1965, owing to lack of cycle traffic and possibly the design.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peugeot 205</span> Motor vehicle

The Peugeot 205 is a supermini (B-segment) car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1983 to 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen LT</span> Light commercial panel van produced by Volkswagen

The Volkswagen LT is the largest light commercial panel van produced by Volkswagen from 1975 to 2006, before being replaced by the Crafter. Two generations were produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Essex V6 engine (UK)</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The Ford Essex V6 engine is a 60° V6 engine built between 1966 and 1988 by the Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom and until 2000 in South Africa although mostly in the Ford engine plant of Dagenham, Essex, which gave the engine its name. It is closely related to the Ford Essex V4 engine produced in displacements of 1.7 L and 2.0 L. Both engines share many parts since the Essex V6 was directly derived from the Essex V4; the 2.0 L Essex V4 and the 3.0 L Essex V6 in fact have exactly the same bore and stroke and share various components. In the same era, the Ford Cologne V6 engine was produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMC A-series engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The Austin Motor Company A-series is a British small straight-4 automobile engine. Launched in 1951 with the Austin A30, production lasted until 2000 in the Mini. It used a cast-iron block and cylinder head, and a steel crankshaft with three main bearings. The camshaft ran in the cylinder block, driven by a single-row chain for most applications, and with tappets sliding in the block, accessible through pressed steel side covers for most applications, and with overhead valves operated through rockers. The cylinder blocks are not interchangeable between versions intended for conventional end-on mounted gearboxes and the 'in-sump' transaxle used on British Motor Corporation/British Leyland front wheel drive models such as the Mini. The cylinder head for the overhead-valve version of the A-series engine was designed by Harry Weslake – a cylinder head specialist famed for his involvement in SS (Jaguar) engines and several Formula One-title winning engines. Although a "clean sheet" design, the A-series owed much to established Austin engine design practise, resembling in general design and overall appearance a scaled-down version of the 1200cc overhead-valve engine first seen in the Austin A40 Devon which would form the basis of the later B-series engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazda B series</span> Series of pickup trucks made by Mazda

The Mazda B series is a series of pickup trucks that was manufactured by Mazda. Produced across five generations from 1961 to 2006, the model line began life primarily as a commercial vehicle, slotted above a kei truck in size. Through its production, Mazda used engine displacement to determine model designations; a B1500 was fitted with a 1.5 L engine and a B2600, a 2.6 L engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Polo Mk2</span> Motor vehicle

The Volkswagen Polo Mk2 is the second generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini. It was produced from late 1981 until 1994. It received a major facelift in 1990 and was available in three different body styles, including a distinctive kammback-styled hatchback, nicknamed "breadvan" in the UK but referred to as a Steilheck in Germany. The sedan version typically received the name of Volkswagen Derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Polo Mk1</span> Motor vehicle

The Volkswagen Polo Mk1 is the first generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini. It was produced from 1975 until 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Golf Mk2</span> Second generation of Golf compact car

The Volkswagen Golf Mk2 is a hatchback, the second generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk1. It was Volkswagen's highest volume seller from 1983 and ended in (German) production in late 1992, to be replaced by the Volkswagen Golf Mk3. The Mk2 was larger than the Mk1; its wheelbase grew slightly, as did exterior dimensions. Weight was up accordingly by about 120 kg (260 lb). Exterior design, developed in-house by VW design director Schäfer, kept the general lines of its Giugiaro-designed predecessor, but was slightly more rounded. All told, about 6.3 million second-generation Golfs were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Thames 400E</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Thames 400E is a commercial vehicle that was made by Ford UK and introduced in 1957. Production of the range continued until September 1965, by which time a total of 187,000 had been built. Publicity for the model included hiring the Cy Laurie band to make the promotional film short 'Band Wagon', in 1958, preserved in the 'Ford Film and Video Collection' at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen EA827 engine</span> Family of petrol engines

The EA827 family of petrol engines was initially developed by Audi under Ludwig Kraus leadership and introduced in 1972 by the B1-series Audi 80, and went on to power many Volkswagen Group models, with later derivatives of the engine still in production into the 2010s. This is a very robust water-cooled engine configuration for four- up to eight- cylinders. In Brazil this engine was produced under the name Volkswagen AP AP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford D series</span> Motor vehicle


The Ford D series is a range of middle-weight trucks that were introduced by Ford UK in 1965. It replaced the Thames Trader and appears to have been envisaged as a more modern competitor to the Bedford TK produced by General Motors' UK truck subsidiary.

The Lancia Ro, Lancia Ro-Ro and Lancia 3Ro were 4x2 heavy trucks built by Italian manufacturer Lancia from the 1930s through the 1940s for military and civilian use. The 2-cylinder diesel Ro was produced from 1933 to 1939, the 3-cylinder diesel Ro-Ro from 1935 to 1939 and the improved 5-cylinder diesel 3Ro from 1938 to 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan Junior</span> Motor vehicle

The Nissan Junior was a series of medium-sized pickup trucks built from 1956 until 1982. It was introduced to fill the gap between the smaller, Datsun Bluebird based Datsun Truck, and heavier load capacity Nissans under the Nissan Diesel brand, like the 80-series trucks. After the merger with Prince Motor Company, the Junior and the Prince Miler were combined, sharing most of the characteristics, with the Junior sold at Nissan Bluebird Store Japanese dealerships, and the Miler sold at Nissan Prince Store until 1970.

Alfa Romeo A15 / A19 / A38 / F20 are a discontinued line of utility trucks, or lorries, produced by Alfa Romeo from 1967 to 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford FK</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford FK, short for "Ford Köln," is a series of medium-duty trucks built by Ford of Germany in their Cologne (Köln) plant in two generations from 1951 until 1961. The Ford "Köln" name replaced the earlier Rhein and Ruhr badges as competitor Krupp (Südwerke) had quietly copyrighted them. Ford Germany withdrew from the truck sector after 1961, focusing on lighter utility vehicles and imports from Ford UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thames (commercial vehicles)</span> Subsidiary of Ford Motor Company

Thames was a commercial vehicle brand produced by Ford of Britain.

The Toyota FA and BA were heavy duty trucks introduced in February 1954. They were facelifted versions of the earlier BX/FX trucks, retaining those trucks Type B and Type F six-cylinder petrol engines. The first letter in the model name indicates the engine family fitted; in 1957 the Type D diesel engine was introduced in a model known as the DA. The second letter indicated the size of the truck, with shorter medium duty versions being coded BC/FC/DC. A second letter "B" was used on bus versions of this chassis. A second generation FA/DA was introduced in 1964 and was built in Japan until 1980, when Hino replaced Toyota's heavier truck lines entirely. The DA, however, was also built in numerous other countries and manufacture continued into the first decade of the 21st century.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ford 4D, 4D Mark II & Ebro 4D Mark II Diesel Engine". Everything About Boats. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06.
  2. New Thames Trader Trucks (PDF) (brochure), Geelong, Victoria: Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty. Ltd., 1959, p. 12
  3. www.griffintrust.org.uk Retrieved 15 November 2016
  4. 1 2 www.fomcc.de Retrieved 15 November 2016
  5. "New Traders unveiled in Amsterdam". The Commercial Motor . Vol. 115, no. 2949. 23 February 1962. pp. 112–114. Archived from the original on 2017-12-15.