The chassis cab also formed the basis for a standard and wide-bodied drop side pickup, in 255, 280, 285, 310, and 350 versions, again available with either short or long wheelbases.

Following the completion of a special police contract, the Rover 3.5-litre V8 unit also became available from 1986, and immediately became popular with emergency services and express delivery operators.

A low-compression version of the 2.0L O-Series petrol engine remained available (but was dropped in 1991 due to lack of demand), in addition to the 3.5-litre Rover V8 (pictured) which was popular with police and ambulance services, where it was often mated to a ZF 4HP22 transmission.

[3] The van's key selling point for operators such as the Royal Mail (who had operated large fleets since the original Sherpa version) and local authorities[4] had been its narrower track compared to the Transit, enabling it to negotiate tight alleyways and country lanes, in addition to its simplicity making diagnosis, repairs, and maintenance uncomplicated (as an example, clutch repairs generally took just over two hours, most models had a 15,000-mile service interval,[5] and tyres were easy to obtain[6]), and the fact that it was made in the United Kingdom.

[7] The Convoy was available in 2.8-tonne, 3.1-tonne and 3.5-tonne variants (the 3.5-tonne having a dual rear-wheel setup for safety and improved handling) with load volume capacities up to 12.9 cubic metres, which were highly praised on release by reviewers as 'best in class'.

The LDV 'SVO' (Specialist Vehicle Options) division boasted of its ability to coachbuild directly in the factory (located at Washwood Heath in Birmingham[9]), making the vehicle popular with those requiring custom coachwork, such as disabled users,[10][11] ice cream sellers, tow truck operators, those carrying frozen food, and fire brigades.

[18] A three-seater cab was available as standard with adjustable seats and padded headrests,[19] as was power steering, a digital clock, and an FM/AM radio/cassette.

[20] An alarm, tachograph, tachometer, air conditioning, and central locking were available as options, as was a twin battery setup with a heavy-duty alternator, which was fitted on the V8 ambulance versions to power medical equipment.

[5] All engines were catalysed and were fitted with a drive-by-wire throttle setup that was initially criticised as dangerous but a revised pedal assembly from the Ford Transit resolved the early issues,[7] and adjustable air suspension was available as an optional extra on long-wheelbase diesel models.

Due to this issue, ambulance trusts started searching for more economical vehicles and began changing to Mercedes-Benz Sprinters with powerful diesel engines around 2003, further reducing profitability of the Convoy for LDV, as diesel engines with enough power for rapid response applications were never available on the Convoy and therefore the trusts had to migrate away from the platform.

The van was praised for its 'class-leading' after-sales service and roadside assistance known as 'VANaid' (continuing from the previous 'DAF Aid' program from the previous ownership) operating from a large number of dealers (165 dealers in 1998,[7] many of which were open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year), while sharing parts from the cars mentioned above meant that parts were easy to obtain.

[3] Sharing powertrain components such as engines with Peugeots and the Ford Transit was also not ideal for LDV, for which the purchasing of expensive running gear directly from arch rivals hugely dented the profitability of this model.