Derived from the
Morris/BMC J4 and
JU250 vans of the 1960s, the core vehicle went through a series of developments, the main one being the revision of the forward control layout of the J4 and moving the engine ahead of the cab and accessible via a bonnet, bringing Leyland's light van offering into line with its two main competitors in the domestic market; namely the
Ford Transit and
Bedford CF. This allowed the wheelbase to be extended resulting in greater stability, payload, side loading and the distinctive 'Sherpa' profile (though the last of the J4s and the first Sherpa are largely identical from the rear). The Sherpa gave way to the Freight Rover 200 Series and in turn the Leyland DAF 200 Series before finally becoming the Pilot after LDV was formed in 1993. It was originally designed to be built on car production lines which led to it having a narrow track. The van's resulting narrower profile was made into a virtue in later publicity by stressing its ability in narrow city streets and lanes – this indeed was why the Sherpa and its successors was for many years preferred over the Ford Transit by the
Royal Mail and
British Telecom (BT) - the former in particular were major users of the Sherpa through all of its later generations and purchased huge fleets.
Sherpa (1974–1982) Originally developed by
British Leyland, the model was launched in 1974 under the nameplate
Leyland Van. Later renamed
Sherpa, it was sold under a succession of marque names reflecting the turbulent times at British Leyland during the 1970s - being sold as a Leyland, Morris, Austin-Morris and then finally as the
Freight Rover Sherpa. The initial
Sherpa line up consisted of vans in 185, 215 and 240 versions (where 185 denotes a GVW of 1.85 tons, and so on); pick ups in 215 and 240 versions; a 240 crewbus and minibus; and various chassis cab options in 220 and 250 versions. Payloads were quoted as 13/14cwt for the 185; 18/19cwt for the 215 and 220; and 22/23cwt for the 240 and 250. Loadspace, at , was considerably larger than that of the J4 and only just short of the
Morris 250 JU. In 1978 the 1.7 and 2.0 litre
O series engines replaced the original 1622 cc and 1798 cc
B series petrol units, while the 1798 cc B series diesel stayed put. The range was redesignated accordingly: vans: 200, 230 and 250; pick ups: 230 and 250; minibus and crewbus: 250 only; chassis cab: 255 only. The petrol 2.0 required a negligible premium over the 1.7, a mere , with fuel consumption remaining the same and drivability being considerably improved. Power for the 1.7 petrol was . It had a neater appearance (using a black vertically slatted grille which gave it a family resemblance to the
Range Rover) and much improved side access to the load bay. Driver comfort and NVH levels were particular targets for improvement. However, with the sale of
Freight Rover in 1989, the
Rover Group left this sector of the light commercial market.
Leyland DAF 200 Series (1989–1993) With
Freight Rover becoming
Leyland DAF, the 200 Series was given a new radiator grille, bearing the
Leyland DAF badge. The 200 Series continued to be built on car lines and its narrow width meant it became a very popular city van. The last 200s switched from the Perkins Prima engine to the less economical but more refined, naturally aspirated
indirect injection PSA XUD 1.9-litre diesel engine.
LDV 200 Series (1993–1996) Following the sell off of the van business from the insolvent Leyland DAF in 1993,
LDV Limited was formed.
LDV Pilot (1996–2005) In 1996, the van received a major facelift with softened front styling - although its relationship with the original Sherpa of the 1970s was still very evident. There was also a redesigned dashboard and seating and the van was renamed the
Pilot. The facelift also saw the end of the '80s Rover stalks, but not the instruments and minor switchgear. The van became popular as a
minibus, and was available in
pick up and fleet based vans, as well as being used by the army for transporting troops. Power arrived in the form of a Peugeot 1905cc diesel engine throughout the entire range, however it made the Pilot sluggish and only able to achieve (One of the rare versions with the turbocharged version of this engine was an altogether more satisfying drive). It also had little torque meaning most hills required the driver to change down. Early models have basic interiors consisting of two or three seats, Mountain Blue coloured plastic dashboard and LDV branded FM/AM cassette radio. Gears are selected using the now unpopular floor mounted gear stick. The van was also used by various police forces and the
Royal Mail. ==Turkish variant==