What a treat! 1958 Ford Thames 400E bakery van - 

This tells so much more about ordinary people than any sports car! Love it!

What a lovely vehicle, and what a terrific restoration by it’s owner, incredible work given the condition it was in when he bought it. I love it that commercial vehicles have such a fan base and enthusiasts community to keep them on the road. Top video, thanks Ian.

One can only marvel at people who drove the Transit equivalents of their day, especially over long distances. Imagine crossing Shap in winter, with a plastic cushion on the wheel arch, the engine as a middle passenger, and a 3-speed box. Truly heroic.

It seems vehicles of this time would be far more suited to our 20mph towns now, than the actual vehicles we drive.

There is a Thames van on a driveway in Stourport I've passed a couple of times recently, it looks like it's been there quite some time. I love the vans of this era, it was evident everyone was just trying stuff out and nobody had found a winning formula and as a result there are some real characterful designs out there. I remember my Grandad's Bedford CA van and him telling me about driving in the very bad fog with the passenger door slid open so he could see where the kerb was.

That is a beautifully restored vehicle. Here's to many many years of happy motoring with it.

RIP Haydn who gave this wonderful van an extra lease of life ❤

What a beautiful little van! I can just remember them during the late 1960s. That sound is what really takes me back! All credit to the owner for saving it.

It's great to see classic commercial vehicles that have survived. When vehicles are built for work they tend to get used hard, run into the ground and thrown away.

The standard Thames 400E on which this is based was always quite narrow and tall so susceptible to being blown around a bit. When I was young, a neighbour who was a builder bought one of these new, and then found he couldn't get it in his garage because it was taller than his previous van. So he raised the roof of the garage so the new van would fit inside.

That’s what I love about a HubNut review, always a different vehicle often very rare.

Brings back memories of our local greengrocer driving around town selling straight from the van. These, Commer vans and Ford Transits with sliding doors used to go all round town and the surrounding hamlets selling all manner of groceries. Even had a fish van as well. Simpler times indeed.

That is a wonderful restoration done to the vehicle. She looks beautiful and is very useful. She sounds like a sweet runner too. Thanks for the ride along.

This has brought back memories of a long day trip from Cambridge to London in a Thames 400E Luton van in the pre-motorway late 1960s. It was quite an old van then.

This is what i love about the channel, a great variety of cars and vans on test and somehow you fall in love with them. Excellent road test as always Ian.

This brings back memories of my Late date he did door to door selling bread cakes etc My Saturday job going around with him. Froze to death in the winterThe brakes were rubbish he tried to avoid a car pulling out in front of him once and ended up going through a shop window cream cakes, bread etc splattered everywhere. Happy days RIP Dad

That looks magnificent. What a great restoration. So pleased it was saved from getting scrapped.

My Dad had one of these in the early 60s. As a child, I was mesmerised by how the ribbon speedo worked. I remember sitting on the engine cover when we went for a drive. My backside would be roasting after 10 minutes and not the safest place for a 5 year old to sit.

Dad borrowed one when we moved house in the 70's. I sat, with my brother, in the back on a sofa travelling along the M3. I loved that van.

Considered undesirable - you are funny 😂

What a superb van and a very rare example of a Ford 400E.

That's a nice little van, very well restored by the owner. I was thinking a van like that could become the Hubnut weekend camper and show merch carrier.

This is brilliant, my late father had a Thames van when i was around 14/15. I actually learned to drive in it around a million years ago

Thanks for sharing. I recall having seen these vans occasionally during holidays in Denmark in the early 1970s, as well in Britain in 1975. When I visited UK again in the 1990s and 2000s Transits dominated the traffic. A real survivor !

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and thank you very much. It's much more than a van isn't it. A great piece of motoring history. Please extend my thanks to the owner .

i spent most of my child hood rolling around in the back of vans on family days out or holidays to clacton

The owner's done a cracking job.

Remember these from my teenage years , converting the van to pickups , leaning out of the door to jiggle the gear linkage , doing king pins and bushes

Great that this moving history has been saved!

Had a Thames van as a band van in the mid '70s. The 4 speed gear box gear linkage was prone to jam. I once had to jump out at a set of traffic lights in York with the trusty hammer, crawl under and give the linkage a thwack to get us moving. Happy days!

What a jolly nice roadtest, HubNut delivers the goods yet again !!!!

My godfather, who owned a meat market in the 1960's, had one and used it as a delivery truck. As a kid, it was a joy to be on the passenger's seat. Great memory. Great video.

"Such a jolly way to get around", the perfect shot of this was the exterior view of the blue and white van against the green field, stone wall and trees, with the blue sky with fluffy clouds in the background. Such a quintessential British countryside image. Thanks.

Lovely van - and I can vouch for the RAF museum , I went there expecting to spend an hr or so, but ended up spending 4 hours listening to the volunteers stories 🙂

What a great piece of history brought back to fully working life thanks Hub Nut enjoy the ride

What a gorgeous van. A real credit to the owner and a very enjoyable review.

My uncle had a mobile shop, I used to sit on that engine as a young kid, such happy times

Ian, all your reviews of vehicles are at least very good to excellent, this one and the Matra Rancho were sublime. Thanks for your efforts. Isn't it strange that the older Ford brands of Thames, Anglia and Granada are the same as ITV companies of years past.

Love the faffing about with the camera mount near the end. Classic Hubnut

When I was a nipper, a local garage had a 400e tanker for delivering paraffin, the whole vehicle being pink, great memories.

Glorious! You get the most interesting vehicle to drive.

My dad drove a standard Thames van as a service van. He made wooden stools and my sister and I sat in the aisle, surrounded by forklift parts. It was fun, especially on a trip from south London to Margate.

What a brilliant vehicle. Well done to its owner for the restoration and use.

There was a mobile green grocer my parents used in the early seventies who had a very similar Thames van. Very nice.

What a beauty…would be a great addition to the fleet😃

I bought two of these back in the 1980s, made one good one out of the two and used it to carry bands and equipment all over the Highlands for a few years. It eventually got so rotten it couldn't go any further but the engine never let us down. It was great fun but had no power steering and with a lot of the weight over the front wheels it was very hard to steer when it was full! By the time I'd driven a hundred miles or so on very twisty roads, played drums for a couple of hours and driven back home I'd be completely knackered.

What a brilliant video of my van Ian. Thank you for reviewing it and nice to meet you.

Wow, I had no idea that any UK vehicles used three-on-the-tree (that's what we call 3 speed column shifted manuals over on the other side of the pond). Although having the shifter moved over to the left side of the steering column would probably throw me off a bit 😂 By the way, the horn is very Ford sounding, it sounds like the one from my grandfather's 1964 F100 pickup!

Just love Ian's commentary on his videos. Sometimes I have to replay them a few times as I've missed some quips. His dead pan delivery is classic and always makes us chuckle.😂 Keep up the good work Hub Nut, Miss Hub Nut and minis too👏👏

My dad bought a thames camper van in the 70s to ferry us kids around (1of 6 kids), as it had bench style seats either side. Happy memories of going to the seaside in it. Nostalgia always sells . 😂😎

Those controls and the 45 mph comfortable cruising speed take me back. I think the position of the indicator controls would still be viable, I think; I remember seeing, though never driving, cars where it shared that position on the top of the wheel boss with the manual ignition timing control. Kids these days. But there's one thing we should be really glad has gone: vacuum driven windscreen wipers. For those who have never experienced them, they were driven by the inlet air pressure, well below atmospheric on a light throttle. But there was the classic, terrifying scenario: rainy night, and you come up behind a slow vehicle that you really need to pass. As you accelerate, the opening of the throttle reduces the pressure differential in the inlet, and the wipers gradually slow--to a halt, if the system is not in the best condition. Terrifying. However much you value authenticity, they have to be replaced in any vehicle that goes on the road. That was delightful--and for all of the appeal of the past, modern vehicles are so much safer.

I rode briefly in a flat bed version of these once. The takeout memory for me was the awkward looking handbrake arrangement. I love the distinctive engine sounds in these. Thanks for sharing, Ian.

My old dad bought the mini bus version new in 1960, in Purbeck grey. Great vans, brought back many memories. 🙂

In a head-on collision, you would certainly be the first one on the scene. But a fascinating commercial vehicle. Working vehicles are always interesting. Good one Ian. Australia

Brilliant road test. My Dad bought the panel van version PHJ 965 in 1962 when I was 5. His was a 10/12 (half ton) version instead of a 15. He cut the sides and installed windows and then converted it into a small camper, with side mounted seats that became beds and a single ring cooker complete with Calor gas bottle. We used to holiday in Devon and Dorset and leaving Essex on a friday evening, the first stop was always Heathrow airport where I was allowed to stand on top of the van in my jim jams and watch the planes come in. He also had an overhead music system, but it consisted of a wire frame where he slid our Bush transistor radio that we used at home. I've ridden 100's of miles sitting on the metal engine cover with my feet on the dash. I caught one of the engine cover retaining hooks once and gashed my shin, I've still got the scar to prove it.

Another great vehicle for camper van. Love it. ❤

What a lovely relaxing drive that was, I can see why you would want to drive it for a few hours. I like what's been built into the back as well. I wonder how many who watch this are gutted that there's only one left? I know I am.

What a survivor. So much more sedate compared to a modern van. That is a lovely part of the world too!

That has to be one of the most characterful vehicles you’ve tested in a long time, lovely.

That was great what a beautiful van and a superb restoration.

What a lovely old bus, great video - thanks.

I love it. The drag coefficient of a potting shed on wheels and in a frontal collision the driver is the crumple zone. But I love the simplicity of it and that commanding view of the road.

Oh that brings back memories! My dad had one for about 12 years from new as a farm van. He did some market gardening, and used it to take vegetables to local shops. His had uprated suspension giving it a one ton payload (though still with the 15 on the front badge). He gave up the market gardening, but it remained as the farm van, until eventually he traded it for a nearly new Escort van in 1971 (the first motorised vehicle I ever drove). My siblings and I would sometime ride in the cab on the metal engine cover, if necessary one facing forward on the front, another on the back facing the back (makes you shudder now!). I can still hear the noise - it was noisier with the conventional all-metal body. The garage that acquired it kept if for their own use, but not long after a rear wheel fell off while they were using it, and it rolled over....

Ive seen that van around at various local shows for a few years now and fell in love with it the minute i saw it down at a small show in Bronwydd Arms. ❤

The Self Preservation Society gone LARGE. Beautiful, beautiful. Thank you for a wonderful video.

Awesome Van I love it when you show cars like this. Thank You from Fresno California.

A lovely van Ian. I can remember these being around when I was young.

What an absolute beaut. Always had a thing for these 400E's...a very familiar sight in my childhood.

It used to amaze me as a small child to see ambulance crews driving round with no seatbelts, and sliding doors open on warm days. Presumably they'd seen enough road accidents to know this wasn't an entirely good idea, and yet they still did it.

Another great vehicle featured, love stuff like this!

What a beauty. The moment I saw it, before you opened the rear door, I thought it would make a wonderful classic motorhome. Our first family car was a Thames 7cwt van. My father made a seat to fit in the back for my sister and I. It was nearly 60 years ago and I still remember the reg. no - 608 JKK.

What a absolute gem, such a unique motor 😊

What a beauty. Credit to the owner for restoring her to such a high standard. I think so many commercial vehicles are treated so hard in there working life that many get scrapped when they reach the end of what owners class as a useful life. shes a beauty and as always thanks for the highly detailed video!!

I think the wipers are more 'We'll sort of clean this bit, for the rest you're on your own!' but then at low speeds it's not really that much of a problem. Lovely little, characterful van. Love the time taken to set the camera up perfectly then fail to stop in the right place 🤣

Lovely. What a stellar restoration.

Vantastic video! Nice to see one of the coach-built examples has been given another life.

What a cute little van, I’m sure it was the van to have in its day. It’s been very well restored, looking resplendent in its bakery livery. Great review, Mr Hubnut, I really enjoyed watching it❤.

We had one at our depot in the early 70's, great fun in the summer driving around with the doors slid back (nobody fell out), auful in the winter trying to start it with damp start and a failing battery.

Brilliant video. My father before I was born had a Thames Van. His must have been the four speed as he said it used to have problems with the selector. He also sat on an orange box as there was not a drivers seat. He let the clutch out a little quick one day and ended up in the back of the van. He also said how the drivers side sliding door fell off the runners and ended up lying in the road. 😂

They used to go really well if I remember correctly. Piece of Ford history

British ford is like some sort of alternative universe cars for anyone outside of the UK hahaha

That is beautiful! Remember the mini bus version from the Italian Job

Heal n toe- cheeky 😊 great commercial smashing sunvisors! What a credit to the owner, glad he saved it, Great vid. 👍🏻

Such a beautiful van, so cute. You made my day Ian.

Wow what a cool 😎 van! I have a weak spot for them! My dad drove a lot of different vans and I in the meantime all so! Morris minor vans, Fiat 238 , Hanomach Henschel ( my favorite) Renault 4’s Citroën 400 , Acadiane, Visa C15 , Berlingo’s , Nissan Vanette , Vanette Cargo, Mitsubishi L300’s , Ford transit , Seat Terra ,Opel ( Kadet) combo , Corsa combo , Vivaro! They all have their charme ! And were dun to drive!

Great to see Carew Airfield again. Home to west Wales's best carboot sale!

The Morris J4 (also the Austin J4) that I remember from our milkman’s float/van had sliding cab doors and that model I remember had BMC badging. I remember the milkman letting me sit as a little kid in the 1960s in the driving seat, which still makes me want to get into that van (and the Thames Trader, Bedford and Commer vans that I saw many of on the road - so many Bedfords were ice cream vans, too!) and take it for a drive. Oddly as a little kid when I saw the first Ford Transit vans I wasn’t enamoured of their looks and larger-looking size, their 60s/70s ‘plastic battery torch’-look headlights on the squarer looking wings. Time softened my heart, though. Like cars, all those designs had more soul than today’s - if only they could be combined with the safety features, efficiency and reliability of today’s vehicles.

I had a green and cream one around 1979 in Pembroke Dock. Bought it from a scrap dealer in Pennar. Sadly it went back to the scrappy in 1980 as I lost my storage just after I took it off the road because the back door fram was collapsing. Same 1703 cc lump as the mk2 consul - mine was a 4 speed but the gear change was as sweet as the zephyr 6 I had. Happy memories

I absolutely effing love this

I have the feeling you proved what I realized years ago. The male of the species prefers a van to a sports car all day long. Why is obvious, you can cart stuff around. Be it lathes or motorcycles. Wardrobes or sheds. Even tents & kids. This is why it put a smile on your face & mine. I really enjoyed this one. We clearly need more Vans for you to test & being very selfish me to enjoy. The other thing I notice is that years ago the quality of restorations was poor now I am amazed just how good they are. This is one of the very best I have seen.

The outtake...oh my! Been there; done that! 😉 Thanks Ian. Those vans used to be everywhere, so it's really surprising to learn that this one is the only U.K. survivor. Especially with it having such an appealing and practical design.

My late father had a standard Thames van and the vacuum wipers were quite hilarious in their uselessness. Once you got to a steady speed they would go extremely slowly and would then speed up each time you lifted off of the throttle. I also remember that the passenger footwell floor was totally rotted out so there was a loose piece of metal over that which I used to take delight in lifting up and watching the road going by through the holes.

What a great piece of automation!

Thanks for the memory - my family had a truck - flat deck - version of this - it was 3 speed but had indicator stalk to the right of steering wheel and a conventional speedo so perhaps slightly younger - I am sure it was called a Thames 800 in New Zealand

Nice vehicle another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍

Wonderful video.. and the van is immaculate.. what a pleasure to watch !!

What a terrific restoration, you really did seem at home driving it, great stuff !

A blast from the past, never managed to drive one of these, plenty of Commer, Bedford CA's, J4's, and JU250's bread vans but never a Thames 15 although my own first vehicle was a Thames 5 . Now my favourite HubNut review.

Enjoyed the ride in that Thames 400E 😊

My parents had a Ford Thames converted as a camper van. 3 forward gears & a reverse. Took 3 days to get to North West Scotland from Manchester . Happy days .