Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
G-MANN ◊ 2007-10-04 19:21	Marwood (Paul McGann), the "I" of the title, wakes up in the back of the Jaguar to discover that Withnail (Richard E. Grant) is speeding down the motorway, weaving in and out of traffic ("I'm making time" he says). Not only does he not have a driving licence but he's totally drunk (as usual). Suddenly they pass a police van. Marwood: Oh no! Withnail: It's perfectly all right. Leave them to me. Marwood: You're full of scotch, you silly tool! First Policeman: (noticing the bottles of booze) Bit early in the morning for festivities, isn't it? Withnail: These aren't mine, they belong to him. First Policeman: You're drunk. Withnail: I assure you I'm not, Officer, honestly. I've only had a few ales. Withnail: Look here, my cousin's a QC! Second Policeman: GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN! At the police station Withnail has to produce a urine sample, so he secretly tries to fill the container with clean child's urine hidden in a Fairy Liquid bottle under his coat. But he gets caught in the act. -- Last edit: 2012-03-15 21:23:21
G-MANN ◊ 2007-10-04 19:22	This looks just like that old police van I saw in London recently. It had an "Austin Morris" badge on the front.
Sunbar ◊ 2007-10-04 19:53	...yes used a police vans in the past. Morris J4 1960-1974 also sold as Austin J4 and Austin Morris J4 The badge here also is the later "Austin Morris" version on the front. -- Last edit: 2007-10-04 19:55:50
G-MANN ◊ 2007-10-05 02:27	Who listed the vehicle origin as East Timor? -- Last edit: 2007-10-05 02:27:42
rpcm ◊ 2007-10-05 02:33	Since it didn't have its flag, I was trying to list it. Actually, it was seeming very confusing to do it. Perhaps we were trying to list it at the same time (?).
G-MANN ◊ 2007-10-05 12:30	What is that green car behind the van? Ford Anglia?
rpcm ◊ 2007-10-05 14:42	I think it's a Standard Pennant.
Sunbar ◊ 2007-10-05 14:52	Yes a Standard Pennant.
G-MANN ◊ 2007-10-05 15:07	Not sure if it needs a seperate picture, this picture was the ideal one for the van, although I can get a picture that shows more of the green car, most of it is already visible in this picture. If anyone really wants me to list it, I'll oblige.
Alexander ◊ 2007-10-05 20:49	We have a number of Standard Pennants, therefore I would only give it a separate page if you can capture it in about the size of the Austin, Ford or Vauxhall in this film.
G-MANN ◊ 2007-10-06 01:25	Isn't that a bell on the bumper?
Alexander ◊ 2007-10-06 10:48	Yes, the bell is what today is the siren. Have a look at all the police Wolseley listed, an excerpt here: /vehicle_41485-Wolseley-14-56-1937.html /vehicle_34173-Wolseley-14-60-1948.html /vehicle_130754-Wolseley-6-80.html /vehicle_11547-Wolseley-6-90-1954.html /vehicle_11534-Wolseley-6-110-ADO53-1961.html
Sunbar ◊ 2007-10-06 11:25	Alexander wrote Yes, the bell is what today is the siren. ..... I could be wrong, but I believe that bell was phased out by police forces well before 1969 when the action in the film was supposed to take place. Based on fire engine photographs their use on emergency vehicles was stopped between 1960-1965 I would say, by 1968 the siren was being used. Can anyone comment otherwise with better information?
greybear ◊ 2007-10-06 12:26	There is a preserved Hampshire Constabulary Volvo Amazon which, in 1966, had a Winkworth bell AND two-tone horns which had been fitted as an experiment.
Alexander ◊ 2007-10-06 13:20	I found information that the bell is known as the Winkworth Gong and was used on the Metropolitan Police's Transits and Sherpas until the early 1990s! But sirens were introduced as early as the mid 1950s, as this Wolseley 6/80 with a Tannoy loudhailer shows: I guess the bell could be correct for a period police van, but the van itself is too young. Austin Morris badged J4 started in 1970.
Sunbar ◊ 2007-10-06 16:32	A Winkworth Gong.... sounds interesting. but a Tannoy loudhailer and a siren would be different I believe. A Tannoy loudhailer sounds as though it would be primarily for speech I guess. I started driving in about 1963 and cannot remember bells being used on police cars. Bells were certainly still used by some fire engines. For the Police 'panda' cars they only had the normal car horn for some time and were not classed as an emergency vehicle only a patrol car. However my local police force were required for motorway patrol duties for the new M1 at the time. Because of this they were reported to be the earliest in the UK to use the Jaguar Mk.II for police work, this was before 1962 and locally a siren was certainly standard issue then. I doubt anyone would take any notice of a bell, certainly from the 1980s onwards.
chris40 ◊ 2007-10-06 16:45	I started driving in 1959, and can just remember some of the older Met cars having Winkworth gongs. I suspect that as they were replaced the new vehicles would have, not sirens, but what I believe in German is called the Martinshorn, the hee-hah thing. Similarly with the ambulances: the old (and beautiful) Daimler my cousin's husband drove had a bell, but I think the newer ones - possibly BMCs, but I can't remember for certain - had two-tone horns.
GodzillaFan54 ◊ 2023-08-28 04:21	Looks as if a Mini was expanded into a van!
Baube ◊ 2023-08-28 04:59	so.. a " Mini Van " ..
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2023-08-28 11:58	No, a J4. Rear wheel drive and B Series engine.

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1970 Austin Morris J4

1970 Austin Morris J4 in Withnail & I, Movie, 1987

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