The Royal Mail Fleet

The Royal Mail Fleet
A detailed history

Postal vehicles are predominantly those used for Royal Mail collections and deliveries, but also include Postal Engineering.

A study of the Royal Mail Fleet from early times to present day...

Photo: A splendid example of a Morris Royal Mail van TGC 571 © Light Straw Archive April 2012.

| EXIT to Delivery Office | Post Office Vehicles | Telecom Vehicles |

The Royal Mail Fleet

The Fleet changes year by year as new vehicles are tested for suitability of delivering the mail.

Mail by Road

Stagecoach
	Royal Mail Stagecoach. Photo: Royal Mail (Bristol to London) Stagecoach at Debden © LSA May 2014.
Bikes
	Postal and Telegraph bikes and motorbikes through the ages... Photo: GPO motorbikes at Amberley © LSA April 2010
Bedford HA
	Bedford HA (110) Mailvan. Post Brenhinol, Royal Mail Photo: Bedford HA (110) Mailvan at Debden © LSA Sept 2012
Bedford Midi Postbus
	Bedford Midi Postbus. Photo: Bedford Midi Postbus at Debden © LSA Sept 2012
British Leyland Mini
	British Leyland Mini van. Photo: British Leyland Mini at Debden © LSA Sept 2012
Dennis
	Dennis Royal Mail van. Photo: Dennis Royal Mail van, (1910 replica) LE 304 at Debden © LSA May 2014.
Dodge
	Dodge Royal Mail van. Photo: Dodge Royal Mail van © Martin Maltas
Fiat Doblo
	Fiat Doblo Royal Mail van. Photo: Fiat Doblo Royal Mail van at Milton Keynes Museum © LSA April 2014.
Ford Fiesta Courier Kombi
	Ford Fiesta Courier Kombi 4-seat crewbus. Photo: Ford Fiesta Courier Kombi W638 BOO at Debden © LSA Sept 2012
Ford Escort
	Ford Escort. Photo: Ford Escort Royal Mail van at Amberley © LSA April 2008
Ford Transit
	Ford Transit. Photo: Ford Transit van at SEAMAC (South East Anglia) Mail Centre © LSA May 2005
Iveco
	Iveco. Photo: Iveco box van KE06 BYX at Southend Delivery Office © LSA May 2013
LDV
	LDV. Photo: LDV Royal Mail Maxus Postbus at Hockley DO © LSA November 2007
Leyland DAF
	Leyland DAF Photo: Leyland DAF 'Mickey Mouse' PN09 HGG at Amberley Museum © LSA April 2011
Morris (35 cu ft)
	Early Morris Minor 5 cwt. vans were specified with custom built bodies to Post Office design. As the Morris Eight became available the Minor chassis was combined with the Eight's engine to form a Post Office Telephones' hybrid. Photo: Royal Mail van at Amberley © LSA April 2008
Morris Z
	The Morris 'Z' chassis van was produced between 1940 - 1953 and was used on telephone duties for Post Office Telephones, and for postal duties in Royal Mail livery. Photo: Royal Mail Morris Z van LUL 794 at Debden © LSA May 2014.
Morris J Type
	From about 1957 onwards, the GPO purchased more than 6000 Morris J Type vans for both postal and engineering duties. Photo: Morris JB Type YLH 449 and SLO 234 at Milton Keynes Museum © LSA April 2014.
Morris LC5
	Morris-Commercial LC5 Royal Mail van. Photo: Morris-Commercial LC5 Royal Mail van SXH 115 at Milton Keynes Museum © LSA April 2014.
Morris Minor (50 cu ft)
	Morris Minor Postal Vans... Photo: Morris Minor WLC 910G at Amberley © LSA April 2008
(Austin) Morris J4
	Austin Morris J4 postal van. Photo: Austin Morris J4 PGF 256L at Debden © LSA May 2014.
Morris Ital
	Morris Ital mail van. Photo: Morris Ital PYO 201Y at Debden © LSA April 2012.
Peugeot Bipper
	The Peugeot Bipper was introduced in 2009 to selected Royal Mail sites. Photo: Peugeot Bipper KU10 YZB at Amberley © LSA April 2010
Peugeot Boxer
	Peugeot Boxer. Photo: Peugeot Boxer KW63 YFX at Milton Keynes Museum © LSA April 2014.
Peugeot Expert
	Peugeot Expert (this has a longer body/wheelbase than the Partner). Photo: Peugeot Expert KX63 PFV at Milton Keynes Museum © LSA April 2014.
Peugeot Partner
	The Peugeot Partner was introduced in 2012 to selected Royal Mail sites, as part of the Delivery Methods (DM) reorganisation of vehicle allocations. Photo: Peugeot Partner KM12 JVC at Debden © LSA September 2012
Renault Kangoo
	Renault Kangoo four-seat Crew Bus. Photo: Renault Kangoo Crew Bus HX03 ZKC at Milton Keynes Museum © LSA April 2014.
Vauxhall Combo
	The Royal Mail Vauxhall Combo is a popular small van for collection duties, typically for pick-ups at letter boxes. Photo: Vauxhall Combo van at SEAMAC (South East Anglia) Mail Centre © LSA May 2005
Vauxhall Vivaro
	From late 2009, Royal Mail specified Vauxhall Vivaros as the natural choice for medium sized postal vans... Photo: Vauxhall Vivaro van at Southend DO © LSA February 2010
Postal Engineering
	Postal engineering included maintenance of mail sorting machines, stamp vending machines and letter scales in Post Offices. EML 137J - 1971 Morris Minor 1000 Postal Engineers' van. Photo: Postal Engineers' van at Amberley © LSA April 2008
	Postal Engineering: Commer Vans. Photo: © Martin Maltas
Parcelforce Worldwide
	Parcelforce Worldwide. Photo: Parcelforce Worldwide Mercedes EX13 FFR in Southend © LSA September 2013.
Post Office Vehicles
	The 'Post Office Counters' brand is echoed in the vehicle fleet with a green banding on its vans. Photo: Post Office Transit © LSA September 2012
Mobile Post Offices
	Mobile Post Offices, a brief study... Photo: Mobile Post Office motive unit Karrier GGO 926J with trailer © Light Straw September 2012
ROMEC
	ROMEC Facility Management: Building Services Cleaning and Office Management Fire and Security Manufacturing National Service Centre Special Projects Photo: ROMEC - Peugeot Bipper OV60 VLO at Southend DO © Light Straw May 2013.

Gallery

	Gallery: A selection of Royal Mail Fleet vehicle photos. Photo: Vehicles in a local Delivery Office © Light Straw Archive.
Postal Heritage
	Postal Heritage: The Postal Museum (TPM) is the leading resource. Here we look briefly at some of its collections. Photo: A 'Mail Rail' motive unit and carriage in the BPMA collection © May 2014 Light Straw Archive.

Resources

Published in December 2005, 'The Mailvan Handbook' illustrates the principle types of vehicle used on mail duties by the Post Office and its successors over the past twenty-five years.

Design, images and text compiled by © Light-Straw. Page last updated June 2015 revision. Checked May 2021.

All logos and trade marks are the property of their respective owners and are used on the Light Straw site(s) for review only. Students and researchers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information contained therein.