folding step for easy entry. For the mounting of special bodies the 400E was available in chassis only, chassis/scuttle, and chassis/cab form. Within a short while a 12-seater variation of the estate car appeared, this time with longitudinal seats and a fixed step to the rear. In contemporary literature this model was called a '12 seater bus', and the previous transverse seat model was not shown, although it was still listed in the price schedule. In early catalogues of the range a de luxe version of the 15 cwt estate car was shown complete with chrome overriders to the front bumpers, chrome exterior mouldings, chrome window trims and a two tone colour scheme. Two exterior mirrors were fitted as well as more luxurious interior trim and fittings. Whether because of the higher rate of purchase tax which was current at the time, or for some other reason, very few of the de luxe estate cars appear to have been sold in Britain. In fact it was not long before the estate car was dropped in favour of the larger capacity 12 seat bus, this being listed as from September 1958. This 12 seater did not attract purchase tax, the Government thinking behind this probably assuming that no one would buy a 12¬seater in place of a private car. As with the older type of 10 cwt van, the new 400E range found plenty of scope for special bodywork. Although the 'official' pickup was not catalogued until February 1961, others had been built by individual bodybuilders to order, as well as tippers, high top vans, etc. One conversion was carried out by Normand on some special insulated vans for delivering ice cream. From the offside the van could be taken for a standard production 15 cwt at first sight, although at close range the shape was not exactly the same as the Ford body. Closer inspection revealed that the body was in fact thickly insulated and that the nearside door of the cab was louvred to provide ventilation for the refrigeration equipment carried in the nearside of the cab compartment. Also available from February 1961 was the Perkins 4/99 diesel engine for those who chose economy before performance. Recently a 1960s photograph appeared in a major UK vintage vehicles magazine that shows a Fordson tractor fitted with a 400e cab. It is not known if this was an amateur one-off tractor