Leyland Motors always had a big Bus, Truck and Commercial Vehicle business and in 1961 when it took over Standard Triumph it gained the Standard 8 and 10 cwt vans along with the Atlas van which they badged 'Leyland Atlas' after the merger. The British Motor Corporation had a mixed range of small vans in 1968 which went front the Austin/Morris Mini through to larger 1-tonne and 30cwt vans and pickups and even light trucks. Some rationalisation took place after the creation of British Leyland in 1968, but not much in the way of new product development. However, in 1974 the Leyland Sherpa emerged out of the carcass of the outdated BMC J4 van. In 1982 the Sherpa lost is 'Leyland' branding in favour of 'Freight Rover' and a restyle was given, and this was supplanted by the Freight Rover 200 in 1984 and the wider Freight Rover 300. The first Leyland DAF vans emerged with modest regrilling in 1989 following the 1987 merger of Leyland Trucks and DAF Trucks. However, troubles lay ahead and DAF became bankrupt in 1993 which resulted in LDV being privatised in Birmingham, as well as new companies for Leyland Trucks and DAF Trucks. For 1993 LDV relaunched the 200 as the 'LDV Pilot' and the 300 as the 'LDV Convoy' which continued in production until 2006. In 2005 LDV introduced the 'Maxus' van, which was more akin to Transits and Peugeot Boxers, and attracted Russian investment, but LDV still collapsed in 2006.
LDV Convoy - badge on rear door
LDV Pilot - badge on rear door. The 'Pilot' name was given to the old LDV 200 Series vans from 1997 to 2006
Leyland DAF 400 1990 Hillsider Motorhome - badge on grille
Leyland-Daf 400 V8 1991 - badge
LDV Convoy - grille
LDV Pilot 1997 - grille
Leyland-Daf 400 V8 1991 Ambulance by 'Mountain'
Freight-Rover Sherpa 230 1982. Final versions of the Sherpa were badged 'Freight-Rover'. This is an Auto-Sleeper conversion
LDV Convoy 1993. The LDV Convoy was the rebranding of the Leyland DAF 400 Series after the Leyland DAF company was sold off
LDV Convoy 1993. This is the longest anf highest version of the Convoy, a vehicle based on the widened Sherpa 300/400 series
LDV Convoy. Evolving out of the wider Freight Rover 300 Series (1984-89), into the Leyland DAF 400 Series (1989-97), and finally into the LDV Pilot 1997-2006.
LDV Convoy. THe Convoy was wider than the Pilot and available in this 'standard' length van as well as long wheelbase and high roofed versions
LDV Pilot 1997. The final Leyland DAF 200 vans had been given the Peugeot XUD 1905cc diesel engine, and the LDV Pilots continued with this.
LDV Pilot 1999 Devon Kalahari Camper
LDV Pilot 2005. In 2006 the Pilot and Convoy models were replaced by the ill-fated LDV Maxus
LDV Pilot 2005. Despite many restyles and many rebrandings, the heritage of the Pilot van from Morris J2 van is plain
Leyland DAF 400 Hillsider Motorhome. In 1989 Leyland DAF revised the 300 and 350 to become the Leyland DAF 400 Series, and was commonly built with a 2.5-litre Diesel engine although a Rover V8 engine was offered on emergency vehicles
Leyland-Daf 400 V8 1991 Ambulance by 'Mountain'
LDV Pilot 1997. This is the 'standard' Pilot van, but with a lift-up tail gate instead of van doors. The higher roof had given to the Pilot's ancestor the Leyland DAF 200 series.
