Ford Thames 400E - Special Bodies

Special Bodies

Within only a short space of time a wide variety of special bodies was available from outside suppliers, with Ford approval for these being confirmed in many cases by their inclusion in the Ford Motor Company's official glossy brochures. Mobile shops, milk floats, ambulances, flat platform trucks with generators or compressors and box vans, and the popular pick up trucks all appeared.

Other special bodies graced the pages of the 400E range catalogue, including tower wagons, luton vans, and an unusual flat truck with an air compressor. Called the Powertruc this was no ordinary air compressor truck, for it featured a design whereby the engine of the compressor also propelled the Vehicle from its position at the rear of the cab. The Powertruc name appeared at the front in place of the usual Thames nameplate.

By 1961 the pickup had become so popular that it was available as a standard model, being catalogued along with the chassis/cab, van and 12 seater, but Walkers of Watford produced their own particular style of pickup, which could be recognised by its substantial box section down the sides compared with the flush sides of the standard Ford pickup. A small tipper body with screw type gear was also listed, as was a standard dropside truck. Several styles of van body were offered, such as a box body of 300 cu ft (8.5 m3), a van body of 315 cu ft (8.9 m3), a pantechnicon with integral cab offering 415 cu ft (11.8 m3) capacity or with a factory cab 400 cu ft (11 m3). A milk float was also listed, as was a body style called a canopy pickup. This was a conversion of the standard panel van, but with the roof and sides down to the waist rail removed from a point about halfway along to the rear. The rear doors were also removed and a drop tailboard substituted, while a partition was put at the back of the cab area and a tip up seat built on to this bulkhead. The Eagle Engineering Company of Warwick produced small tower wagon equipment for the 400E, and Tuke and Bell supplied a special little slide cover refuse truck just the job for narrow alleys or pedestrian precincts.