Oxford Diecast 76MJ012

Walls Ice Cream Morris J Ice Cream Van

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)

Manufacturer description

If it’s Spring, it must be time for an ice cream although I have yet to hear the chimes round my street!  And this superb little Morris J Van is a reminder of the excitement of the arrival of that familiar pale yellow and pale blue van where we could line up with our pennies for a delicious Wall’s Ice Cream.  And yet, Mr Richard Wall did not start with ice cream.  He opened a butcher’s stall in St James’ Market in London in 1786.  The ice cream business was started by his grandson Thomas Wall II who found an opening just before the First World War when demand for their meat, pies and sausages was declining. Wall’s was taken over in 1922 by Lever Brothers, subsequently Unilever who still own the business today, having added several ice cream brands to their portfolio.

The Morris J Van was a favourite vehicle for ice cream vendors because of its versatility and style. Launched in 1949 as a 10 cwt van, it was made by Morris Commercial at their Oxford plant. First introduced as a general purpose van, it featured forward control with sliding doors on each side and appeared in both right and left hand drive options. The chassis was passed to many bodybuilders who adapted it for varied uses from Royal Mail vans to milk floats and of course ice cream vans. The J van stayed in production until 1961

Here our Wall’s Ice Cream Van is registered VME 585 and features the original Wall’s graphics printed in dark blue on the pale yellow bodywork.  The wings, front, mudguards and bumpers are masked pale blue, while the chrome wheels have yellow surrounds matching the body.  The interior is black.  Note too, the sliding side window effect, the split windscreen and the pear shaped radiator grille. 

Catalogue listing

Oxford Diecast Walls Ice Cream Morris J Ice Cream Van is a die‑cast replica marketed under part number 76MJ012. The model represents a Morris J commercial vehicle in the livery used by Wall’s ice‑cream vendors during the British Railways Late Crest period.

The original Morris J van was produced by Morris Commercial at its Oxford plant from 1949 until 1961. It was a 10 cwt forward‑control van with sliding doors on each side, available in both right‑hand and left‑hand drive. The chassis was widely adapted by specialist bodybuilders for uses that included Royal Mail vans, milk floats and ice‑cream trucks. The die‑cast version bears the registration VME 585 and displays the authentic Wall’s graphics: dark blue lettering on a pale yellow body, pale‑blue wings, front, mudguards and bumpers, and chrome wheels with yellow surrounds. Other notable features are the split windscreen, the pear‑shaped radiator grille and the black interior.

Wall’s ice‑cream origins trace back to a butcher’s stall opened by Richard Wall in St James’ Market, London, in 1786. The ice‑cream business was established by his grandson Thomas Wall II shortly before the First World War, expanding as demand for meat products fell. The company was acquired by Lever Brothers in 1922, later becoming part of Unilever, which continues to own the brand.