The BMW Group Classic Museum in Munich has a new exhibit, the pink Cummins Ice Cream Van. The production of such vans began in the 1970s. The main pickup for them was the Mini pickup, which entered the market in September 1960.
In the process of being converted into an ice cream van, the pickup truck had its roof and cab rear wall cut off. In their place, a non-standard top was installed with large rounded windows and glass sliding doors. Above the front windows was the sign “Lollies Ice Cream” (“Ice cream on a stick”). The rear panel of the pink body was decorated with stickers with cartoon characters “Tom and Jerry”.
Cummins sold vans in the UK and overseas, but they didn’t last long. Only a few have survived to this day. There were also Mini Ice Cream Vans with a different design and performance, but the domed roof of the Cummins design remained unchanged. Because of her, the nickname “Batmobile Mini” stuck behind the van.
In 1998, Whitby Morrison, another ice cream truck manufacturer, bought Cummins and made a copy for an unnamed company. This suggests that despite the decades, people like this pretty car.
In the mid-1960s, the Wildgoose company from the South of England released the super cool Mini Wildgoose “motorhome” for those times. The basis for it was the mini-van BMC (British Motor Corporation). It was available in three versions with different equipment, costing £445, £480 or £601. By comparison, the average monthly salary in the UK at the time was around £80–100.
All Mini Wildgoose campers came with four seats, a double bed, a table, curtains, cabinets and a water tank. A combined luggage rack, a spare wheel container, extended side mirrors and a hammock were optionally available.
It was driven by a four-cylinder 850 cc engine. cm with a capacity of approximately 34 hp. The maximum camper could accelerate to 112 km / h, but the most comfortable cruising speed was about 80 km / h. Since the Mini Wildgoose was positioned as a vehicle for a couple of retirees, it was quite enough for transfers with frequent stops for tea.