Meet Minnie the Movie Star
I had been looking to get another classic vehicle for some time. The vehicle I wanted was a Luton built Bedford CA either a van or a minibus. The last of these was produced in 1969 and hard work or rust had seen most of these vehicles got to the scrap yard.
I looked at a few in car shows and a few for sale but nothing really took my fancy. Several vans of the type
I wanted still exist in Malta but they were either not for sale or needed too much work to bring them up to a good standard.
Some three years ago while going to visit friends in Alltwen I spotted a minibus parked on the road. My friend made some enquires and a few days later the owner phoned me to say that if he ever wanted to sell,
I would have first refusal. True to his word two years ago he phoned and within days the bus was mine.
The vehicle is a 1961 Bedford CAL with Martin Walter Utilabrake conversion with 12 seats. Powered by a 1508cc petrol engine with a three speed column change gearbox it was supplied to its first owner in Twickenham by the Croydon Automobile Company Ltd.
It stayed in London until 2004 before having a third owner in Newbury and then on to Alltwen in 2008, moving to me in Killay in 2009. The vehicle is in original condition and I am lucky to own such a fine and rare vehicle.
Parts are easy to come by and my friends Stan Pendry and Ken Williams of Ken Williams Motors make sure it is kept to MOT standard. As the vehicle over 25 years old, the road tax is free and insurance is just £80 a year.
I use it on a regular basis going to work, shopping and car shows as well as for advertising my own transport runs and shows. It does about 20 mpg I think!!!! My wife Denise and I enjoy going out for trips in Minnie and she is a joy to drive.
We named her Minnie as last year she was used for the soon to be released film Hunky Dory which stars Minnie Driver. Look out for her big screen debut!
