The Multi Purpose Vehicle is often regarded as a modern idea - but it has its roots in some important vehicles of yesteryear.
There are a number of schools of thought over the first of the people carriers. Some say it was the Toyota Space Cruiser, some the VW Microbus or Chrysler Voyager and others the London to York stagecoach.
But my money is firmly on the minibus version of the Bedford CA Van which came about during the commercial vehicle boom of the 1950s.
The CA featured sliding doors and semi-forward control and became one of Bedford's most successful products, with more than 370,000 built between 1952 and 1969.
It fulfilled a whole gamut of commercial roles, its snub-nosed, bulldog looks just asking to be customised and converted. But it is the minibus that is, for me, the most interesting of all CA variants.
It cornered the generic name of Dormobile, but that has to be strictly applied to the motor caravan version produced by specialists Martin Walter.
Although there were a few other minibuses about in the 50s, it was the CA that really looked the part of an early MPV.
Its sliding doors, ease of access and pleasant driving position resulted in a vehicle that transported the family and their luggage comfortably within a compact body shell. It featured the tough engine of the Vauxhall Wyvern which delivered 40bhp and pulled strongly, especially at low speeds. It also had a column gearchange which, although perhaps not as smooth as the one on Fords of the time, was easy to use.
The CA had true character and has captured the imagination of the preservationists with many survivors receiving bucket loads of TLC.
There are even some that are in annual use as camper vans, proving the tough construction of these old workhorses.
So if you are driving the latest Renault Espace or Chrysler Voyager, don't look down your nose if an aged, stubby-nosed CA minibus parks beside you. After all, it was there first.
Citroen Traction Avant
Every now and again an automotive star is born, sending reverberations throughout the industry. This is exactly what happened in 1924 when Andre Citroen unveiled the Traction Avant. more
MGB
Never was a sports car more loved by the British public than the MGB - a car that was later literally dumped by its manufacturer. more
VW Karmann Ghia
For most who take an interest in that wonderful automotive era of the late 50s and 60s, the name Volkswagen conjures up just one image...the iconic Beetle. more
Triumphant Stag
The demise of the British motor industry was a saga of brilliant ideas, botched manufacturing and often dreadful management. more
Ford Classic
It was a big, bold, shiny, heavenly set of wheels. Some called it tacky, but with more front than Diana Dors, the 1960s Ford Classic was certainly a car of its time. more
Austin A99
Rally fans will remember or have read of Pat Moss's win at the wheel of an Austin Healey on the 1960 Liege-Rome-Liege rally. more
Jaguar XJ220
One of the great British supercars - the Jaguar XJ220 - is a rare sight these days. more
Rover Jet1
In the 1950s Rover was regarded as the staid wheels of the well-heeled. They went about life in their own snooty way, and you would hardly have guessed the company had a tiger by the tail. more
Austin Ambassador
There are some cars that are easily forgotten and the Austin Ambassador is one of them. Launched in March 1982, it took the reins from the disappointing wedge-shaped Austin Princess, with the added advantage of a tailgate. more
Ford Consul
When people talk about the fabulous Fords of the 1970s they usually go gooey-eyed over the Capri, Cortina and Escort. more
Abbot
For those lucky enough to have a pocket deep enough to indulge in a little fantasy, the world of military vehicles offers some amazing opportunities. more
BMC 1800
That odd, and later unstable conglomeration of great British marques, BMC lived in a strange world of certainty in the early 1960s.
more
BMW Z1
One car which I believe has never been granted the credit it deserves is the BMW Z1. This is the daddy of all the BMW Z Series.
more
Vauxhall Victor
Some cars can capitalise on their own failings. A perfect example of this is the Vauxhall Victor F of the late 1950s which has become quite a rarity because thousands of them just rotted away at a relatively early age. more
Ford Escort
So much has been written about the great Ford Escort, launched in 1968, that we tend to forget a model bearing the same name produced a few years earlier. more
Bedford CA Van
The Multi Purpose Vehicle is often regarded as a modern idea - but it has its roots in some important vehicles of yesteryear. more
The Riley RM
Just after the end of the Second World War, that great British manufacturer Riley hit the ground running with a model that still remains one of the most graceful family cars ever. more
Ford Prefect
How it was possible for a model name to progress and survive through that amazing transitional period from sit-up-and-beg styles to modern three-box thinking is well illustrated by the Ford Prefect more
Pierce Silver-Arrow
In the 1860s, George N. Pierce earned a living from making cages for birds and squirrels. Little did he know that his homespun ingenuity honed in Buffalo, USA, would result in a car that has become one of the most sought after classics in the world. more
A real prize Fighter
As we have seen in the past, some cars are classics before they hit the streets. Such a car is the new Fighter T from that amazing company Bristol. more
Triumph Spitfire
I always wanted a Triumph Spitfire but never got around to buying one. A shame because the Spitfire was a little cracker of a sports car that made a big impression before the end of British mass-produced two seaters. more
Vovlo 760
Back in 1982 Volvo introduced a model that set the market agape. When the large 760 was rolled out, one of the top motoring writers of the time, LJK Setright, described it as follows: "Scarcely credible even as a car of the present, though some of its qualities are redolent of a sadly lost past." more
Renault 5
When it first appeared in 1972, the Renault 5 was described as sympathetic and amusing by a member of the motoring Press. more
Porsche 356
In 1875 a world automotive genius was born. Ferdinand Porsche became a grand master of German motoring excellence and his name is linked to cars like the Mercedes-Benz 38/250... more
Ford Edsel
Sometimes a motor manufacturer can get it hopelessly and horribly wrong. Such was the case with the Edsel, an American giant of the late 1950s. more
