Let’s face it, the van isn’t the most glamorous vehicle of all time, but looking at some modern van designs, you’d be forgiven for thinking there wasn’t a glimmer of it left. Back in the day however, there were some home-grown vans that promised to be true classics. So while you’re mulling over your van breakdown cover options, here are a few British van classics that you may have forgotten about…

The Austin 7 Quarter Ton van. This wonderful old classic looks like a stretched-out Mini, and promised customers a huge amount of space at an affordable price. In the old poster advertising for the vehicle, a range of professions were depicted carrying out their jobs with the able assistance of an Austin 7 van. From painters to builders – this van was the pride and joy of ‘white van men’ of its time.

The Bedford. From police cars to builders merchants, in 1960s Britain you couldn’t get much done without a trusty Bedford. The Ford transit of its time, this van could be adapted to various uses. Almost any photograph or piece of film of a street scene in 1960s Britain features a Bedford van lurking somewhere in the background. But as a ‘work-horse’ vehicle, we perhaps don’t see as many of them around as we’d like. A true van classic.

The Transit. While we might be more familiar with its modern relation, the Ford Transit looked as iconic and quaint as a Bedford in the sixties and seventies. The distinctive headlamps of the early versions have made this a true a classic, used by a multitude of professions up and down the country.

It’s a shame that modern vans, in my opinion, don’t give off the same sense of glamour – if you can call it that – as these wonderful old classics.