Leyland Sherpa

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Leyland
Leyland Sherpa
Leyland Sherpa
sherpa
Manufacturer: BLMC
Production period: 1974-1981
Previous model: Austin-Morris J4 , Austin-Morris 250 JU
Successor: Freight Rover 200-300
Technical specifications
Designs: Panel vans , flatbed trucks , minibuses
Engines:
Petrol engines : 1.6–2.0 liters
Diesel engine :
1.8 liters

The Leyland Sherpa is a pickup truck launched in 1974 by the British car manufacturer British Leyland Motor Corporation , which was built by various manufacturers in a modified form until 2005.

History and Development

By the late 1960s, the light commercial vehicles offered by British Leyland Motor Corporation were obsolete. The Austin-Morris J4 was technically obsolete and the Austin-Morris 250 JU was not very popular in the trade. These could no longer keep up with the more modern competitors Ford Transit and Bedford Blitz . Only with the Commer PB were they on the same level. Therefore, a successor had to be created from existing parts, if possible, from which the Leyland Sherpa became. This was essentially developed by Stan Dews, who had previously worked at Leyland and had helped develop the Ford Transit as an engineer at Ford. Leyland managed to win it back and this is where the Sherpa resembles the Transit I. The Leyland Sherpa was later also marketed as the Austin-Morris Sherpa .

In 1981 the BLMC group was split up, creating the Austin Rover Group . Land Rover with the commercial vehicle division Freight Rover belonged to her . The Sherpa became the Freight Rover Sherpa and later the Freight Rover 200-300 . After the sale of the Austin-Rover Group to General Motors had failed in 1986 , it was split up again. Freight Rover was merged with DAF to form Leyland DAF . The Freight Rover 200-300 has now become the Leyland DAF 200-400 or Daf 400 on the European mainland. In 1993 Leyland DAF had to file for bankruptcy. The LDV GmbH was founded, which initially continued to build the Leyland Daf 200-400 and finally offered it as the LDV Pilot and LDV Convoy until 2005. The 1974 development was built for over 30 years.

Leyland Van / Leyland Sherpa 1974–1981 / Austin-Morris Sherpa 1978–1981

Leyland Sherpa ca 1981.JPG

In 1974 the Leyland Van was introduced. Vans, minibuses, minibuses and a chassis for a wide variety of bodies were offered. In the smallest panel van version, it had a loading volume of 5.4 m³. The chief engineer Stan Dews wanted to offer it as a van from Leyland , but this confused customers and led to the name Leyland Sherpa 6 months after entering the market . At the start of development, BLMC only had a market share of around 7 percent in the small van market, so the focus was on low manufacturing and development costs. The Sherpa received the floor pan and axles of the Austin-Morris 250 JU and the side walls, tailgate and roof of the Austin-Morris J4 . The "Series B" petrol engines with 1622 cm³ and 1798 cm³ as in the Morris Marina were used as drive, as well as a performance-enhanced 1.8-liter version of the old 1.5-liter B-series diesel engine, each with a manual transmission. A four-speed manual transmission from the Austin 3-liter C-series was available, with overdrive as an option . Other parts that came from other models of the group were about the heater and dashboard of the Marina, the door handles of the Morris Mini and the steering wheel came from the Austin 2200 .

The new model was supposed to be narrower than the competitors Ford Transit and Bedford Blitz so that it was easy to maneuver even in narrow streets. In addition, a short hood should offer more protection in the event of front damage, reduce maintenance costs and improve the ability to adjust the seat position. The engines were therefore installed in front of the seats and the seats behind the front axle. As a result, BLMC's market share increased rapidly and so the development budget was increased. This brought in 1978 new 1.7 and 2.0 liter O-series engines as well as reinforced bodies. From 1978 it was also offered as an Austin-Morris Sherpa , from 1982 it became the Freight Rover Sherpa .

BMC Sherpa Turkey

BMC (Turkey) produced a derivative of the Sherpa in Turkey and from 2006 also a pick-up derivative for the national market.

Trivia

Web links

Commons : Leyland Sherpa  - Collection of images, videos and audio files