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Apanel van, also known as adelivery van (United Kingdom),[1]blind van,car-derived van orsedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger carchassis, typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind theB-pillar.[2] Panel vans are smaller thanpanel trucks orcargo vans, both of which usebody-on-frame truck chassis.[1]
As they are derived from passenger cars, the development of panel vans is typically closely linked with the passenger car models upon which they depend. North American panel vans were initially based upon thetwo-door station wagon models, while Europe's narrower roads dictated that panel vans utilize the smaller donor chassis ofsubcompact cars in that market. In Australia, panel vans were a development of theute, a small pickup truck based on a passenger car chassis, e.g.Holden Ute, often using the longer wheelbase of a station wagon chassis.[3][4]
Panel vans were a well-established body type by the end of the 1920s.[5]
Panel vans have experienced divergent evolution in America, Europe, and Australia, as a result of the different passenger car platforms upon which panel vans are based in each region.
A panel van is often known as a "delivery" or "sedan delivery" in North America. It is an older term that usually only applies to station wagon–based vehicles (sedan deliveries/delivery wagons) such as theChevrolet Delray andFord Courier,[6] orpickup-based vans (panel deliveries).[7] Large, boxy unibody vans based on truck platforms (such as theFord Transit,[8]Ram ProMaster,[9] andChevrolet Express[10]) as well as smaller unibody vans (like theFord Transit Connect[11] andRam Promaster City[12]) are usually referred to as cargo vans or just panel vans. Larger vehicles built on achassis cab with a custom cargo box are usually calledbox trucks or moving vans.
In the late 1920s,Ford produced "Town Car Delivery" and "Wood Panel Delivery" as part of theFord Model A model range.[13] LaterPlymouth produced a sedan delivery from 1935 until 1941.[14]Pontiac produced deliveries until 1953 in the U.S. and until 1958 in Canada based on thePontiac Pathfinder.[15] Sedan delivery models were usually produced in small quantities of 200 or less, for example 449 Canadian Pontiac sedan deliveries were built in 1958.[citation needed]
From 1959 on, the sedan delivery was no longer practical; it was phased out in 1960 as aChevrolet model, so the requisite Chevrolet body was no longer available.[16] With the growing sales of theVolkswagen Type 2 and the introduction ofcompact vans, sedan deliveries faded from the scene. Chevrolet dropped the body type after 1960, whileFord moved it to theFalcon line-up until 1965.[17]
In the 1970s, Chevrolet andFord offeredsubcompact sedan deliveries with theChevrolet Vega Panel Express and theFord Pinto Panel Wagon. The Vega Panel Express was introduced in September 1970 and it was Chevy's first sedan delivery in ten years since the finalfull-size model was offered in 1960.[18] The Vega Panel Expressbody style accounted for less than 2% of the total Chevrolet Vegas produced during the 1971 through 1975 model years.[17] First-year sales of the Vega Panel Express peaked at 7,800 units and after leveling off to 4,000 units per year, only 1,525 were sold in 1975.[19] ThePontiac Astre Panel, Pontiac's version of the Vega Panel Express, was available in Canada in the 1973–75 model years and in the US for 1975.[15] The Pinto Panel Wagon was introduced in 1976 and was offered in both a commercial and a "factory customized" Pinto Cruising Wagon version that featured a roundporthole style window on each side.[17] TheFord Courier name, previously used for Ford sedan delivery vans, began to be used with Ford's import pickup truck line.[20]
In 2002,Chrysler showed aconcept car edition of a panel van based on thePT Cruiser at theNorth American International Auto Show, but it was not manufactured. In 2007 Chevrolet released a panel van version of theHHR, marketed as the HHR Panel.[21]
The small cargo vans currently sold by American manufacturers are from their overseas divisions, for example, theFord Transit Connect andRam ProMaster City; however, both vehicles are planned to be discontinued by their respective manufacturers by 2023 due to lackluster sales.[22]
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European panel vans of the 20th century include theCitroën 2CV Fourgonnette,Citroën H Van,Citroën C15,Ford Escort,Morris Minor,Renault Estafette,SEAT Inca[23] and more recently theRenault Kangoo and theOpel Combo.[24]
From the 1950s onwards, a larger alternative to the panel van was thevan (based on a commercial vehicle chassis instead of a passenger car chassis), such as theVolkswagen Type 2, theDKW van and the first-generationFord Transit in 1965.[25][26][27]
In the United Kingdom, panel vans benefit from having lower taxes than estate cars[28] and do not have the speed restrictions that apply to larger vans.[29] This has given rise to some anomalies. Authorities and dealers are not always certain about what qualifies as a car-derived van.[30] SUVs andcrossovers are also popularly turned into light commercial vehicles without rear seats.[31]
Examples of panel vans from the last 30 years are theRenault Kangoo (1997), theFiat Doblò (2001),Opel Combo (2001),Ford Transit Connect (2002) and theVolkswagen Caddy (2004). They are also purpose-designed to be utilitarian base model MPVs / people carriers, for a range of such vehicles. Since the 1980s most manufacturers have offered light van versions of their small hatchbacks, sharing bodywork with the regular passenger version. These versions have the rear seats removed and may have blanked rear windows, depending on local regulations.
As of 2019, the market consists of the following models and many more:
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The firstHolden panel van produced in Australia was theFJ Holden, which was released in December 1953,[32] although many manufacturers offered panel vans in their range prior to this.[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] Like many Australian panel vans, it was based on a correspondingute and station wagon models. In May 1961, Ford Australia released a panel van version of theXK Falcon, marketed as the "sedan delivery" body style.[41] The first panel van by Chrysler Valiant was part of theCL Valiant model range and was introduced in April 1977.[42]
Panel vans' combination of cargo space and customisable interior in a relatively compact vehicle made them attractive to painters, electricians, general labourers and film crews.[43] Australian police forces also used panel vans (nicknamed "divvy vans" or "paddywagons").[44]
Early Australian panel vans used swing-down and -up tailgates and a standard roof height, indicative of their ute and station wagon/sedan delivery origins. In the mid 60s first Holden, then Ford introduced unique rooflines to their panelvan models. These were higher than the previous stagion wagon based roof, giving greater cargo space and functionality. In the early 70s, Ford introduced horizontally opening rear doors (nicknamed "barn doors").
By the early 1970s, when panel vans were in decline in America, they had become cultural icons in Australia.[45] The most popular model was theHolden Sandman, which was marketed to surfing lifestyle.[46][47] The first Sandman was built in small quantities in 1974 in theHQ model range, but the model's popularity greatly increased in the subsequentHJ generation, which was released in October 1974.[48][49] In the 1979 movieMad Max, a modified 1975HJ Sandman model was one of the vehicles driven by the lead character (played byMel Gibson).[50]
Ford's competitor to the Sandman was the Surferoo, which was introduced into theXB Falcon model range in 1973.[51][52] In 1977, the Surferoo was replaced by the more popular Sundowner, in theXC Falcon range.[48][46] The traditional tailgate style doors were also reintroduced as an option with the XC range.
In 1976,Chrysler released a similar model called theDrifter, which was part of theChrysler CL Valiant product range. The Drifter ceased production in 1978.
Younger drivers were especially attracted to panel vans, not least because of the ease with which a mattress could be installed within the cargo bay. Consequently, panel vans also attracted nicknames such as "sin bins," and "shaggin' wagons".[53][54] During the 1970s many Australian panel van owners took to applying airbrush mural art to the sides of their vans, paralleling a similar trend in America.[55] Along withVolkswagenKombi micro-busses, panel vans were popular with surfers, who could sleep in the cargo bay while carrying surfboards on the roof.
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By the end of 1979, the Sandman had largely lost its place in the contemporary Australian youth culture – order figures were down and many of the vehicles were now being sold with the stripes and tailgate logos deleted. The final Sandman was in theHolden HZ series and featured V8 engines only, along with a four-headlight grille and under bumper front spoiler. In 1979, a basic HZ Holden panel van was priced at A$6,076, with the Sandman option package an additional A$1,700. If a buyer selected every Sandman extra, which would cost in excess of 50% more than a basic HZ panel van, Holden would include a velvet mattress with the Holden logo embroidered. The Sandman ute and panel van were phased out in October 1979, with the end of the HZ series.[56]
Panel vans generally declined in popularity through the 1980s. Holden's last panel van, theWB, ceased production in 1984.[57] Ford was the last manufacturer of Australian panel vans, until production of theXH Falcon, ceased in 1999.
In 2000, Holden unveiled a retro-styled Sandman show car based on theHolden VU Ute. While this Sandman was never released, a canopy or "camper shell" featuring the same styling was made available as an A$6,150 accessory for Holden utes from 2003 through 2006. Installation was complicated, however, and the rear window and cab wall of the ute were retained, preventing movement between the cargo bay and the passenger cab as was possible in purpose-built panel vans.[58]