Description Thought to have originally been a Civil Defence Vehicle, hence the low mileage of less than 10,000 showing; petrol powered, runs and drives Commercial vehicles are often at their most appealing when they retain the character and patina earned through a lifetime of honest work, and this 1955 Ford Thames ET6 has that in abundance.

Believed to have begun life as a Civil Defence vehicle, where it is thought to have been retained as a standby control unit for use in the event of a national emergency, it is understood to have covered remarkably few miles in its early years.

Supporting this belief is a feature in Classic & Vintage Commercials magazine (July 2014), featuring a letter from the then owner, who had owned the vehicle since 1985 and stated that it had travelled fewer than 10,000 miles during his ownership.

Today the Thames carries the attractive signwriting of James Bate & Sons, Wholesale Fruit & Vegetable Merchants of Warrington , with the company name also appearin...