With the reasonable success of the Segundo CV came a larger van- the Triad MV- in 2004. The Triad MV (medium van) was available in many more configurations than any other Duke in the company’s history, and they were given a unique code to help buyers figure out what was what.
The code started with the engine size (20 for the base-model 2-litre, 22 for the 2.2l, or 34 for the top-spec V6); then followed the body length, either S (short), N (normal) or L (long); then the roof height, either N (normal) or H (high); then the number of windows it had besides the windscreen (either 2, 3, 5 or 7) and then the trim (the same as all other Dukes at the time, either E, SL or SLX). For example, in the photo above are a 22NN7 SL (the minibus in blue); a 22NH3 E (at the back); and a 34LN5 SL (on the right). The cheapest Triad MV one could buy was a 20SN2 E, and these were mostly bought in large fleets by couriers; the most expensive would be a 34LH7 SLX, though it is disputed whether anyone actually configured their van exactly like this.
The V6 was intended for the American market, and was the only engine option in American Triad MVs, but it was also the most popular with the Duke enthusiast community as the engine was the same as in the Triad, Penta and Sextant at the time, plus the Quadrant V6 and Septimus concepts.
A second-generation Triad MV was planned for 2012, but in 2008 French manufacturer HMC asked Duke if they could collaborate on a similar project. HMC wanted to make a van that could do everything- something they had struggled with in the past as their previous vans had been very basic and too agricultural for some buyers.
Duke agreed to help them, but there were disagreements during the project’s development. HMC insisted that the new van not have solid axles, for the sake of comfort (they retained bad memories of their leaf-sprung utility models in the 1970s being so bouncy they were labelled a safety concern), but although Duke argued that such a move would ruin the vehicle’s load capacity, HMC got their way, and the van was given Macpherson struts at the front, and semi trailing arm rear suspension- similar to the old Wildlander Novas.
The project was completed in 2010, built by HMC at their plant in Calais, and put on sale as both the Duke Triad MV and the HMC Artisan. It was better than HMC’s previous efforts, but not as well-received as the previous Triad MV (reduced load capacity to 910kg being often pointed out) and could never beat the class leader, the Holborn Carrier. The Artisan soldiered on until 2017, shortly after a new Carrier (below) blew it even further out of the water- HMC and Duke then went their separate ways, with both developing replacements using the lessons they had learned.
One major thing that Duke took from the project was HMC’s idea originally- the Artisan’s third brake light was a full-width unit which became one with the tail-lights- this is a common feature to Duke’s upcoming models.
