Austin 8 CWT Van (Michelin) in Yellow (1:43 scale)
- The 1971 Morris Minor LCV modelled, in this case one of the rare Austin badged examples, is in the livery of the French Michelin tyre company & carries an illuminated Bibendum figure on its roof. Bibendum’s name comes from the Latin phrase “ Nun est bibendum”, meaning, “ Now is the time to drink (or celebrate)”. This was used as a title for one of the earliest illustrations featuring the Michelin man, who was shown holding a cup filled with glass shards, nails, & other tyre hazards to indicate that a Michelin tyre takes obstacles in its stride, or, in the French vernacular, ‘drinks’ them. The name stuck & he is now known all over the world as Bibendum.