“The van that delivered Britain, the engine that no engineer could quite believe — and a name working people recognised on every street.”
Commer began as Commercial Cars Limited, incorporated in September 1905 and established on Biscot Road in Luton, Bedfordshire. The founders were H.C.B. Underdown and H.G. Hutchinson, men of the Edwardian engineering entrepreneurial class who saw in the motorised commercial vehicle a technology whose time had come. The company's early products were workmanlike trucks serving the growing demand for road-based goods transport that the railways could not fully meet.
Over the following decades, Commer grew to occupy a significant position in the British commercial vehicle market, ultimately becoming part of the Rootes Group, the Coventry-based conglomerate that also controlled Humber, Hillman and Sunbeam-Talbot. Under Rootes, Commer benefited from shared resources and production volumes, while retaining its identity as the group's commercial vehicle specialist.
Of all Commer's achievements, the one that engineers still argue about is the TS3 — a two-stroke, three-cylinder, opposed-piston diesel engine produced between 1954 and 1968. It was, by any conventional measure, an eccentric piece of engineering. Each of the three cylinders contained two pistons moving in opposition, sharing no cylinder head. The crankshaft was a single unit. The whole assembly was charged by a Roots-type supercharger. Total displacement was 3.25 litres. Output was approximately 105 horsepower with 270 lb-ft of torque.
It was also remarkably loud. The engine produced a mechanical clatter unlike anything else on British roads — earning it the names “Commer Knocker” and, in higher states of tune, the “Commer Screamer”. Transport operators recognised it immediately. Lorry drivers developed a fierce affection for it. Approximately 54,000 units were produced over its production life.
When Chrysler acquired Rootes in 1967, the TS3 was phased out in favour of American Cummins diesels — a corporate decision that erased one of the most genuinely distinctive engines in British commercial vehicle history. The sound of a Commer Knocker on the road is now remembered as one of those irretrievable sensory textures of mid-century Britain.
In the 1960s, Commer produced two forward-control van designs that became highly practical workhorses for British businesses and public services.
The Commer FC (1960–1976) was a forward-control light van with a low, flat floor, available in 21 or more body configurations serving everything from bakery deliveries to municipal services. Its design gave a low step height and generous load space that was genuinely useful to operators.
The Commer Walk-Thru (1961 onwards) took this principle further with a walk-through cab featuring sliding front doors, specifically designed for delivery routes requiring frequent stops. The British Post Office became a major customer, and Commer vans became embedded in the visual texture of British street life. Generations of people grew up recognising the Commer name stencilled on red Post Office vehicles.
The Rootes Group, weakened by the investment required to develop its new Imp small car, accepted American investment from Chrysler through the early 1960s, culminating in full Chrysler ownership by 1967. For Commer, this meant rationalisation — the TS3 was discontinued, and the brand was increasingly shared with the American parent's truck ranges.
In August 1978, Chrysler sold its entire European operations to PSA Peugeot Citroën for the nominal sum of one dollar. The Commer brand was phased out in 1979, replaced first by Dodge badging and subsequently by Talbot. The SpaceVan, a successor design, continued in production until 1983 under new ownership but without the Commer name.
In its 74 years, Commer produced vehicles that served British industry, the Post Office, British Telecom and the armed forces. Its most technically extraordinary contribution — the TS3 engine — remains a subject of engineering fascination and affection decades after the last one turned a wheel in anger.
Trademark status: Commer is a registered UK trademark held by Frontline Heritage Group (Class 12 — Vehicles). Licensing and acquisition enquiries are welcomed.
Commercial Cars Limited founded, Biscot Road, Luton.
Acquired by Rootes Group, Coventry. Becomes the group's commercial vehicle marque.
TS3 two-stroke diesel engine enters production. The “Commer Knocker” is born.
Commer FC forward-control van introduced. 21+ body styles available.
Walk-Thru van launched. British Post Office adopts fleet.
Chrysler takes full control. TS3 phased out in favour of Cummins diesel.
Chrysler sells European operations to PSA Peugeot Citroën for $1.
Commer brand discontinued. Replaced by Dodge, then Talbot badging.
Three-cylinder opposed-piston two-stroke diesel with six pistons and a single crankshaft. Supercharged by a Roots blower. Known universally as the “Commer Knocker” for its distinctive sound. One of the most technically extraordinary diesel engines in British commercial vehicle history.
Forward-control light commercial van with low flat floor and 21+ body configurations. 12–15 cwt payload. Served bakeries, laundries, council fleets and light haulage operators across Britain.
Sliding front-door delivery van designed for high-frequency stop-and-go routes. A major customer was the British Post Office. Available in 1.5, 2 and 3-ton variants. A genuine innovation in delivery vehicle ergonomics.
Modern panel van developed under Chrysler ownership. Continued in production after the PSA acquisition, latterly serving British Telecom fleets. Outlasted the Commer brand name itself.
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