Millard caravans - Nth Ryde, NSW

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Hughdeany and Twocutekelpies,

It’s a very different Millard isn’t it with the knife edge styling below the windows, the big bulkheads above the windows and the window layout?

I hear what you say Hughdeany, but I think I will still argue for a later build date - say around 1965. My reasoning is based on the following:

• Up until around 1964 Millard stuck with the coloured panels around the van at window level. Only in 1965 did they seem to adopt the (large) coloured flashes on the sides, and then in 1967 they moved to the white acrylic finish with a coloured bottom half. So to me the flashes suggest 1965/66.
• The knife edge styling below the front and rear windows is similar to the styling used by Sapphire and others around 1965.
• The early 60’s Millards seem to have a much more staid styling (but in fact that’s true of most Millards we’ve see, so I’m not sure that indicates anything! )
  

What do you think about the first two points?

Don Ricardo

[leecurtis]

Hello All, I have recently purached a Millard M Deluxe 21ft caravan. I am going to restore and get back up to speed from top to bottom. Wondering if anyone can give me an idea of age from the Millard build number welded on the draw bar, M3760? Thank you in advance

[hughdeany]

Hi and welcome Lee Curtis,
According to Shelley Regans compilation of chassis numbers on her Millard and York fb site your van is a 1965 model.
You can find out more in the “ down history lane section” on here and on the fb sites.
Hope this helps
Cheers
hughdeany

[Don Ricardo]

Hi all,

Below are some photos of a Millard caravan that I copied from somewhere in 2019:






(Source unknown)

It looks to be similar in design to Johno’s 50’s Millard here, and back in 2012 based on the knowledge we had then, Roehm3108 suggested that Johno’s van may have been pre-1958.  However, I am now thinking that based on the style and windows, Johno’s van is probably late 50’s.  Putting 2 and 2 together (and risking an answer of 5!) I am wondering if the van above may be an early example of a Millard clad in aluminium from the late 50’s when some manufacturers adopted that method?  It’s possible of course that the van has been clad in aluminium over bondwood aftermarket.  However, the cladding looks pretty professionally done, and the Millard logos at either end look to be original and suggest that the cladding might also be original.

I’m interested in people’s ideas on this.

Don Ricardo

[hughdeany]

Hi Don,
I think that the Millard is standard from the factory like that,I’ve seen one in the flesh many years ago.
Cheers
hughdeany

[Don Ricardo]

Hi all,

At the end of last month Hughdeany and I had a conversation with Gc1964 here, who has just purchased a Millard from around 1962 or 1963 which has wrap around windows at both the front and rear. Hughdeany had seen examples of this model Millard before, but I hadn’t, and there are no examples of this model on this DHL thread.

As it happens, when I was looking for something else today, I found a couple of more examples of the same model. The photos of the first example were posted by Blade Mayfield on the Millard & York Caravan Owners - Australia in March 2020:

























According to Twocutekelpies Millard/York register the serial number M956 indicates a 1963 build date:



Blade M did not include a photo of the rear of his van showing the rear windows, but he did include this photo of another van of the same model…



…and we have the photo of the rear of another van of the same model posted by Alicia C, also on the Millard & York Caravan Owners - Australia FB page, in November 2020:



It seems that this model not only had the wrap around windows but also a distinctive livery with not only the coloured panel between the windows, but also the narrow coloured strip below the waist line of the van.

It would be interesting to know how Millard designated this model to set it apart from the regular model without the rear wrap around windows.

Don Ricardo

[hughdeany]

Hi Don,
Interesting that the Millard pictured has shaped overhead cupboards on the kitchen side,and shaped drawers in the Welsh dresser.
Also the hatch has flywire fixed to the outside,like quite a few vans did back then.
Maybe this model was the forerunner to the Millard Princess?Will we ever know?😉
Cheers
hughdeany

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Hughdeany,

Yes, it definitely looks like a deluxe model doesn’t it?

Don Ricardo

[kenny]

My wife was walking through our estate.
She says to me "you know how you're into those vintage caravans, there's one for sale up the road'
I pop up to say hi, but no one home, I think its "Milly" from Page 1 (2012)!
What a coincidence!

(edit - Owner is asking $22k)

Regards kenny

[kenny]

And more.....

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Kenny,

Yes, the Millard does seem to be Johnno's van. I'm not sure if he's the seller or not?

It's great to have some more pics of the van because it is such an early example of Millard's caravans.

Well done and thanks to your wife. Maybe we need to appoint her as a 'Chief Investigator' or perhaps 'Chief Spotto'?

Don Ricardo

[kenny]

Hi Don, its definately not the FJ Holden owner selling it. The current owner told me he bought it off the FJ Holden owner and has altered the inside. For example it has been largely redone, all the red had gone and white has taken over.

It was still on the driveway this morning when I when by, I'll ask if I may take some photos of the inside.

Regards kenny

[kenny]

Update: Van has now gone.....

[cuzzi]

Dec 30, 2012 22:29:52 GMT 10 henley said:

Hi all

Where is the Millard factory located today ??
I know there is a Millard factory at Ingleburn Sydney as I work just a few streets away and drive past it every day ! But its so small ! I popped in the other week for a stickybeak! I saw only 3 vans on site at varous stages of construction or repair and about 5 workers !! The little Asian looking guy that greated me at the workshop door spoke little English and couldnt answer any of my courious questions!
Ingleburn must be some kind of service centre I suspect!! I just looks too small !
There must be a factory somewhere where they spit em out like hotdogs ?

[cuzzi]

Dec 30, 2012 22:29:52 GMT 10 henley said:

Hi all

Where is the Millard factory located today ??
I know there is a Millard factory at Ingleburn Sydney as I work just a few streets away and drive past it every day ! But its so small ! I popped in the other week for a stickybeak! I saw only 3 vans on site at varous stages of construction or repair and about 5 workers !! The little Asian looking guy that greated me at the workshop door spoke little English and couldnt answer any of my courious questions!
Ingleburn must be some kind of service centre I suspect!! I just looks too small !
There must be a factory somewhere where they spit em out like hotdogs ?

[cuzzi]

I own one of the earliest Millard Caravans I've seen around it's a 1954 model. Can't see how to post pic yet

[shesgotthelook]

Hello & welcome. Would love to see some photos of your caravan. Have a read of the following thread.

vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/16409/post-photos-on-forum

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Cuzzi,

Just adding to SGTL’s welcome to the forum.

Your caravan sounds fascinating and it would be great to see some photos of it. Although we’ve begun to accumulate quite a bit of info about some caravan manufacturers like Millard, we often don’t know a lot about their very early models. That makes your post pretty exciting!

SGTL has provided you with a link that explains how to post photos. Once you’ve done it a few times it’s quite easy, but if you find it all a bit confusing don’t hesitate to yell out for help. Alternatively if you’d prefer, you can email me some photos and I’ll happily post them for you. My email address is [e-mail]

We’ll look forward to seeing your van. : )

Don Ricardo

[millarddan13]

Hi I have an old Millard vin number M53644 have been trying to find how old it is I can't find anything new to this as well if someone could help would be fantastic cheers

[faith]

Hello,

The caravan discussed above by Don, Twocutekelpies and Hughdeany advertised on gumtree in Feb 21 is now mine.
I bought the caravan in Jan 22 from the same owner who advertised it on gumtree Feb 2021 (re-advertised late 2021). So not sold at the time of the original ad you saw. 
The caravan is definately a Millard and definately 1962 - see attached paperwork that came with the van.
It is a really lovely very very original caravan - and absolutely pristine. I have added a photo of the sofa bed - not seen in the original add. You can also see the lovely floor - hidden by a carpet when we bought it. Sorry this photo came out sideways - I am not sure how to fix this.
We bought it from the great nephew of the original owner. It passed to the owners family when he died and none of them wanted it so they sold it on. 

---

Editorial comment - January 2023:  The orientation of the last photo is now corrected.  Don Ricardo

[faith]

photo from gumtree of the caravan so you know the one I mean.

[dukey]

Hi all, I recently picked up a Millard Princess, chassis # M8679.
It is in original condition except for a power point, a fluro light & a side marker lamp.
The couple I bought it off said it belonged to her parents & was given to them when crossing the Nullarbor upon there relocation to WA.
It has the annex, poles, guy ropes & spikes.
It also has the front window guard.
Colour wise it’s white over mustard.
Brakes are cable setup (not sure if original) but they seem to work.
It’s a wooden frame, very slight water damage as it was stored under a tarp for 20 odd years.
I am wondering if someone can tell me if the jrail was on the bottom of the cladding? It has aluminium angle now but has the clips for the awning so not sure if added or if original.
Any help would be much appreciated.
I’m not going to gut it & remodel, just a really good clean up, replace fly screens, replace the glass in the door side front window, replace window seals, j rails, replace lights & get working, get gas fittings & electricals checked, hopefully revive the original fridge& re paint.
Then get her registered.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi all,

A couple of interesting items about Millard caravans published in 1968.

The first is an article reporting that the 16 ft Millard Princess model could now be purchased with an electric toilet installed, published in the Sydney Sun-Herald on Sunday, 5 May 1968 (page 70). Interesting that the toilets were the same as those to be found in Boeing 707 airliners:



The article was accompanied by the following advert on the same page of the newspaper:



Then on Sunday, 22 June 1968 the Sun-Herald (page 105) printed a review of the 1968 Millard Capri:



This article was accompanied by the following advert on the same page of the newspaper setting out some of the Millard range:

Note that while the Princess model with the toilet was clad in two-tone, acrylic coated aluminium, the Capri model was still clad in unpainted aluminium, apart from the flashes on the side. This seems to suggest that the Capri was finished at a lower level than the Princess.

All newspaper items were sourced from www.newspapers.com

Don Ricardo

[hughdeany]

Hi Don,
Interesting about the electric toilet having no disposal problems!
The toilet sat on a raised tank on the shower floor,and waste went to a huge underfloor tank,fine if you are connected to the sewer,but otherwise you had to find somewhere you could drive to and dump.( remember this was before dump points!)
Viscount and Chesney were still using them up until the 70s and we still have problems with people that buy these models and know nothing about how they work.😳
The Princess was the top of the range whilst the Capri was entry level.
Cheers
hughdeany

[therealdeal]

Oct 19, 2017 4:08:28 GMT 10 darlington said:

Hi, I'm Shaun. Peter Darlington's son. My dad sadly passed away this in April. My dad built and designed the caravan's. His brother John (deceased) was just the business end. Now I'm not going to put family politics on here. As it's all in the passed now. I'm proud at what my father built. And to this day I still see Darlington and Millard caravan's about.

Thank you