Sherpa vans

Vatanen · 16 Sep 2002, 23:51 (Ref:382016)

Does anyone have any history on how the Sherpa van evolved into the LDV van of today?

I can't find much anywhere really.

garcon · 17 Sep 2002, 00:07 (Ref:382021)

Nothing, except that it presumably happened when Leyland Trucks and Daf merged.

And that my mate had an LDV lwb van thingy for racing and it was a big pile of

Er, I don't mean he raced the van, btw

davemorganfan · 17 Sep 2002, 10:30 (Ref:382311)

Try www.austin-rover.co.uk. POtted history of the Sherpa and lots of other fascinating stuff on good old British Leyland.

josvandeperre · 18 Sep 2002, 14:03 (Ref:383441)

Dear Mr Vatanen - is 'get a life' an unreasonable response ?

zefarelly · 23 Sep 2002, 13:33 (Ref:386613)

those things just spread corrosion around the country dont they?

TimD · 25 Sep 2002, 22:45 (Ref:388487)

Leyland Sherpa - one of the most unfortunate bits of product placement in movie history. BL were really quite chuffed to get their new van a starring role in the James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me". Sad to say, the sight of their little grey van being pulled apart by the villain "Jaws" using his bare hands wasn't quite the image they were after.

I drove a little green '77 model for a while, and it handled and drove as though it had met up with Jaws too. Ghastly thing.

Andrew Kitson · 25 Sep 2002, 23:22 (Ref:388507)

Most things Leyland were ghastly TimD, not just the Sherpa.
I once drove an Allegro with square steering wheel. Oh, and a Marina...and a Princess...and.. ( Must remember to add these to the other thread on 'worst cars you ever drove')

TimD · 26 Sep 2002, 00:21 (Ref:388526)

Leyland... I've done Leyland, Andrew!

Had a 1975 Triumph Toledo which had seriously weird cornering characteristics - until I took it to get a new tyre fitted, and it was discovered that it had three Triumph Toledo wheels and a Morris Marina one.

Also had a 1972 Rover 2000TC, and that was a good car. A very good car. Not even British Leyland could seriously spoil that design. I loved it.

rdjones · 26 Sep 2002, 21:50 (Ref:389256)

I have driven an LDV mini-bus and I must say it is the worst thing I have every driven.............

medler · 30 Sep 2002, 15:57 (Ref:392303)

I think what happened was after Leyland trucks merged with DAF the van division was bought out by the management. Therefore it became an independent company. They might have restyled it a bit, but it still a 1970's van, so far behind the competition I can't believe they can still sell them. Buy a Transit or Merc better than driving a car and white ones are the fastest vehicles on the road.

Bluebottle · 30 Sep 2002, 20:12 (Ref:392499)

Vatanen, I'm curious....
why do you want info on LDV??

big red · 30 Sep 2002, 21:36 (Ref:392563)

Vatanen, Why on earth do you want to know the history of Sherpa's? I've had the misfortune to drive both panel and box vans and they were both adismal, the only good sherpa's are the ones in Nepal, yes the ones that support people climbing everest...................
Didn't Daewoo have some tie up with LDV in recent years?

429CJ · 5 Oct 2002, 17:23 (Ref:396418)

Finnish Post used RHD Leyland Sherpas as post delivery vans in early eighties-early nineties. Just imagine how they looked with a bright orange paintjob...

DAVID PATERSON · 7 Nov 2002, 07:02 (Ref:423557)

In Australia, Subaru sold an awful little box with a tiny engine and called it the Sherpa. I assume they've all been recycled back into Coke cans by now.

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