The vendor of this stunning Austin commercial describes it as ‘better than new’, and it is certainly hard to fault and surely a potential concours candidate.

He informs us that he is the most recent of just five owners to date, the second of whom placed it in storage for no less than 37 years following a failed MOT test.

‘CJJ 851H’ was then inherited by his sons who sold the van to a member of the Morris Minor Owners Club, and it was he that was responsible for the body-off, bare-metal rebuild that resulted in its current condition.

Rather than customise the van, he retained its original looks right down to the ‘crinkly’ radiator grille, plain hubcaps and Austin bonnet badge that distinguished the Austin version of the model from its somewhat more common Morris cousins.

Indeed, the only apparent, but eminently sensible, departures from standard are the unleaded cylinder head conversion, front brake discs and related servo, superior later style seats, and a higher final drive ratio....