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BMC's first unitary construction van, the J2, was launched in 1956, nine years before the Transit, and shows just why the Ford product revolutionized the van world. Aided by its low overall gearing, the J2's performance was quite adequate for local delivery work, but the 1489cc 42bhp engine could not sustain the high speed cruising that drivers needed on the new motorways being built all over Britain at the time. BMC updated it in 1962, fitting the larger 1622cc unit that was also going into the Oxford/Cambridge Farina designed saloons, however even in that form it produced only 56bhp. If BMC's managers had realized the difference the burgeoning motorway network would make to vehicle use in the sixties, they would have fitted the J2 van (and its saloon brothers) with the MGB's 1800cc version of the B-Series, something that would have addressed the major shortcoming of what was in every other way a very capable vehicle. Surf was introduced in 1952 by Crosfields of Warrington, who were a subsidiary of Lever Brothers. The blue and white packaging with yellow lettering carried the slogan 'Lathers like magic. Out dates every washing product!' In September 1952 coupons were posted to households all over Britain offering 1/4d off a family pack of Surf.
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