Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Classic & Vintage Commercials

NEWS TEN YEAR TYRE BAN If you have a News story, e-mail cvc.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to The Editor, Classic and Vintage Commercials, 5 Yalding Hill, Downs Court, Yalding ME18 6AL The government has announced the result of its consulation on the use of older tyres on large vehicles – and as many were expecting, a ban on the use of tyres over ten yeas old on the front axle of almost all large vehicles will be introduced. The ten year tyre age limit will apply to tyres on the front axle of heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches, and to all tyres on minibuses when fitted in single configuration – in other words all four tyres unless the minibus has twin rear wheels. Retreaded tyres will be regarded as new…

OFF AND ON There’s “Good news and Bad news” as far as remaining major events for 2020 are concerned. The bad news is that the final Historic Commercial Vehicle Society event of 2020, the Sevenoaks to Hastings Sprat & Winkle run, which was to have taken place on Sunday October 11 has been cancelled. This decision was made not by the HCVS but Hastings Borough Council. The Sprat & Winkle is one of a number of special “Hastings Week” events which take place each year to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings on October 14, and HBC has effectively cancelled Hastings Week 2020 and is not allowing any public events on its land until November at the earliest. However, as this issue of Classic & Vintage Commercials went…

Shelvoke & Drewry Centenary Plans are underway for a special event in 2022 to mark the centenary of Shelvoke & Drewry, the Hertfordshire manufacturer of specialist commercial vehicles best known for its refuse collection vehicles. A group of ten enthusiasts, led by Belfast-based Peter Johnson who owns a major collection of these vehicles, has made contact with the British Motor Museum, and obtained agreement in principle for a celebratory event on June 11 & 12 2022 – please note that this is the year AFTER next, not next year! Obviously, plans are still at a fairly early stage, but the organisers are keen to hear from anyone who would like to get involved and/or display a vehicle. To find out more, call Peter on 07860 868967 or write to him…

CLOSE-UP on Classics LEYLAND T45 Peter Davies begins a two-part analysis of the lorry range which, though intended as Leyland’s Great Hope when launched with a massive package of government assistance, turned out to be the brand’s final product as a British-owned business. The T45 range of the 1980s was Leyland’s great hope for the future. Sadly it also turned out to be its last. Within seven years of its launch Leyland, once Britain’s most famous manufacturer, was sold off to DAF Trucks in 1987. The decline in Leyland’s fortunes began in the previous decade after the formation of BL (the British Leyland Motor Corporation). Under the leadership of Lord (Sir Donald) Stokes, BL was created by the merger of Leyland Motor Corporation and British Motor Holdings in 1968, the…

Gaydon 2020 It went ahead, and it was excellent! Peter Simpson reports… Strictly speaking, the Classic & Vintage Commercials show at the British Motor Museum on August 8 and 9 – postponed from the usual date in June – was cancelled and replaced by an “informal Classic Commercial weekend” on the same date which included as many elements of the usual show as it was safe and legal to run with. The main difference from the customers point of view was that everyone – exhibitors and visitors – had to pre-book. This was in part due to ‘track and trace’ requirements, but also because it was necessary to restrict visitor numbers so that social distancing on site was possible. It worked. Yes, visitor numbers were down, but that was intended/expected.…

Model Corner Mike Neale profile models of the Bedford O from those sold as toys when the vehicles were current to more recent issues for collectors Launched just before the Second World War, only a few hundred of Bedford’s new O-Series trucks were built before hostilities ceased in 1945. The O-Series initially covered 3-5 ton payloads, whilst the similarly designed M-Type was a 2-tonner and the K-Type was rated at 30cwt. During the war, a number of the more austere civilian OW-Type truck, plus the OX and OY for military use, were built with a square front and sloping bonnet, but from 1945 the previous grille and bonnet design reappeared, with the O-Type now a 4-5 tonner. The K, M and O trucks lasted until 1953. Dinky Toys launched their…

A Family affair Peter Simpson revisits the father and son Fitch team, who have just completed another fine Bedford restoration that reflects the family’s history with lorries… Exactly two years ago, in our September 2018 issue, we featured Alvar and Garry Fitch’s newly restored 1958 Bedford D. In that feature, we mentioned that the D was “one of three Bedford restorations nearing completion.” Now, though, number two has been completed. It’s a 1936 WT three-tonner, like the D, it’s absolutely stunning, and we were therefore delighted when the invitation came to take a look. Also like the D, the WT is a lorry type which the family intended to use operationally, but never did. To explain this, we need to start with a brief look at the family’s background in…

BEDFORD AT 90 Next year marks the 90th anniversary of the first British-built Bedford commercial vehicle being made; three bus and two lorry chassis being offered, all based on Chevrolet designs. They were a success from the start, with 11,225 vehicles being produced in the first year. To mark the 90th anniversary of the first British Bedfords, the Bedford Enthusiasts Club have announced a special event called, perhaps unsurprisingly, Bedford 90 to take place over August bank holiday weekend, August 28/29/30. It will take place at the Leighton Buzzard narrow gauge railway at Pages Park (postcode LU7 4TG or follow the brown signs). Planned attractions will include a display of Bedfords from 1931 to 1996 in age-order on the Saturday, a road run passing the nearby Luton and Dunstable production…

One’s CF While at the British Motor Museum to report on this year’s lorry gathering (see report on pages 30-33) our Editor spotted, in the museum, an exhibit which he hadn’t noticed before. This 1980 Bedford CF is actually a Lucas electric vehicle, and was made for HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke had, apparently, visited Lucas in 1977 and while there, taken a great interest in the firm’s work on electric vehicles and was keen to try one. The Duke has always had a keen interest in new technology. This CF was the result. Powered by a 40W traction motor and a large number of batteries – the latter filling virtually the whole underfloor area – the electric CF was finished as a six-seater limousine, capable of 50mph…

Carrying on We welcome photos of older lorries that are still in service for publication in this section. We can accept contributions by email – cvc.ed@kelsey.co.uk, or by post to The Editor, Classic & Vintage Commercials, Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding ME18 6AL. Please provide as much (or as little) information about a vehicle as you are able and, before entering or taking photos on private property, please ensure that you have all the permissions that you need to be there, and to be taking photographs. Bill Florey Bill Florey Bill Florey John Podgorski John Podgorski John Podgorski John Podgorski Steve Smith Steve Smith…

HENLEY TRANSPORT Pt2: Jack Henley and Chris Lawrence complete the story of this much missed family-run Kentish company. In 1970 Jack Henley purchased a two-acre piece of land from British Railways adjacent to the main railway line in Hop Pocket Lane Paddock Wood and this would become the headquarters for the transport operation. This, however, soon proved too small to hold the growing Henley Transport fleet, so an agreement was made with the Hops Marketing Board for vehicles to be parked on their premises when closed. With the speciality of the transport of fruit from Kent farms it made sense to open a depot in East Kent to service the fruit growers in that area and also take care of the distribution needs of another co-operative group. By 1971 Jack…

CLASSIC PROFILE AUSTIN A30/A35 AUSTIN A30 & A35 COMMERCIALS Peter Simpson tells the story of the popular baby BMC commercials, and provides some up to the minute buying advice… Peter Simpson I will admit to a strong affection for the A35 van – I had one as my very first car, back in 1977. 484KOG was a 1963 example – so 1098cc – in Spruce Green. I owned it for just one year and it was scrapped not long after I sold it. Sadly, I have no photographs as I had no interest in photography then or any inkling that I’d spend pretty-much my entire working life in a profession where such things might be useful, but as most people do, I recall my first car with great affection. The…

In the spotlight 1959 ERF 54G by David Reed Owner: Tony Thompson Seen on: 2019 Somerset and Devon Road Run Back in 2016, the spotlight fell on Tony Thompson’s superb looking 1966 Atkinson Mk 1 Black Knight complete with Dyson trailer, which we spotted on the inaugural Somerset and Devon Road Run, organised by the late Peter Thorner. Tony, or Tommo as he is universally known, helped Peter with the organisation, so after Peter’s tragic death in 2017, just a couple of months before the second run was to take place, Tony took over, and has continued heading up the run’s organisation since. He drove the Black Knight on the 2019 run, but he had another vehicle taking part, which was actually on its first long outing since passing into…

NORMAL SERVICE At one time ‘normal control’ or bonneted artics were common but they were fast disappearing in the ‘sixties. The last such offering from Bedford was the J4A which was successor to the popular Bedford-Scammell OSS of the early post war years. One firm to operate J4As was East Lancs Carriers, seen here. Their fleet included both Bedford and International Harvester artics of this type. Falling demand led Bedford to discontinue J4A production in 1966, just one year after this outfit entered service. Peter J Davies…

My story - Reggie the Morris Mike Neale’s piece on a 1951 Morris LC prompted reader Liz Smith to tell us about her 1948 example… I was quite amazed to see the article on pages 54 – 56 of the July issue as the Morris LC featured has the same colour scheme as my 1948 LC3 which at first glance is the same as my 1948 LC3 which has the adopted name of “Reggie”. I have owned it for over 30 years, it has been refurbished three times. When I first bought the van, it had the livery of Harris Removals and needed some work. The wheelarches were rotten along with the complete bottom rail and dash. After a two-year restoration, within the first two hours a Cavalier hit the…

Crawford’s Gipsy Not many 1958 vehicles can claim to have had one owner from new, but Brian Culpan tracked down one that has… This very smart Austin Gipsy was supplied new to Robert H Crawford & Son of Frithville near Boston in Lincolnshire, and worked as a service vehicle in their agricultural engineering business until 1975. It remains in their ownership today, though its now a preserved pet rather than a working vehicle. In the 1950’s choosing a diesel engine for a small commercial was unusual – unless the rest of the fleet of larger vehicles were also diesel and the fuel bought in bulk. In this case the diesel engine added £125 to the price which totalled £755. Being new in August 1958 it is a very early Series…

MANUFACTURING MAKING LORRIES PT2: Nick Baldwin continues his personal account of manufacturing over the years with a look at some of the factories and, particularly, how mass-production and moving assembly lines arrived. We think of the USA as originators of mass production. It is said that the vast meat packaging industry in Chicago, in which carcasses were scientifically dismembered on moving lines of chains and hooks, inspired engineers to do the same operation in reverse with, in their case, small pieces of metal building up to a complete machine. Colt with his revolver is often cited as the first precision mass-producer. Some fifty years later, firms like Ford, Oldsmobile and Cadillac took the ideas further and on a larger scale. However, before they did, spare a thought for British repetition…

Next month Coming up in the October 2020 issue of Classic & Vintage Commercials OUT Friday September 25 Diamond T A family-owned recovery firm has restored a 1943 Diamond T into an exact replica of an example bought in the 1950s. But this one’s no pampered pet – it’s been built with work in mind! Nick Larkin tells the story. Volvo F88 Restoration Major rebuild into superb condition CLASSIC VAN and pick-up Morris Minor Van buying guide Events! Things are starting up again, and David Reed’s been out and about, taking it all in. Mighty Mandators Bob Weir tracks down a fine-looking pair! Plus: Pt3 of Nick Baldwin’s mini-series on making lorries, Pt2 of Peter Davies in-depth analysis of the Leyland T45 range, preview of the Kevin Dennis clearance auction,…