Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Classic & Vintage Commercials

The Heart of Wales Run took to the roads in early September with a new format, this time it was a three-day event. Again the starting point was Shrewsbury, with the first day taking the vehicles up the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen, and later across the scenic moorland between Denbigh and Pentrefoelas, a route known as The Roof of Wales. In the afternoon the run took the entrants to Llanberis for a two-night stay, with the second day providing the opportunity to visit the Anglesey Transport Museum and catch the train up Mount Snowdon, although high winds prevented the summit being reached. The final day saw the vehicles climb through a rather wet Llanberis Pass and back to Shrewsbury with a stop at the Glan-y-Gors racing circuit providing a welcome…

In 1947 Guy Motors resumed production of the 2-ton Wolf normal and forward control lorries and 3–4-ton Vixen forward control lorries, based on their prewar models launched in 1933 and 1934 respectively, using the same fourcylinder 3.3-litre petrol engines. A new radiator had ‘GUY’ cast in the top. From 1952, the Perkins P4 diesel was also offered. The same cab was initially used on the 5–6-ton Otter from 1950, with a new Motor Panels all-steel cab fitted from 1952 on the Otter Mk2. The Otter was offered with the option of the Gardner 4LK engine from 1950, or the Perkins P6 diesel from 1952. A new forward control Guy Warrior range was launched in 1956 covering 6–15-ton payloads with both rigid and articulated options, with a rounded cab design developed…

As you’ve probably spotted when you opened your subscribers copy envelope, or picked this magazine from the newsagent’s shelf, the front cover feature this month is a bit different. The Volvo F88 that’s the star of the January 2025 issue is no show queen. It’s not even an older restoration. In fact in cosmetic terms it’s pretty ty shabby. No, actually it’s Shabby with a capital S. It is, though, a very special lorry in British road transport history. Bob Carmichael’s 1973 Volvo F88 tractor and timber transport trailer were, until mid-2023, almost certainly the oldest working lorry in Britain. The lorry was worked properly too – it was no semi-preserved pet used only on light duties and/or driven when someone fancied a change. No, Bob was an owner-driver, the…

Back in the day, a BMC ‘threepenny bit’ FG chassis/cab was the basis of the vehicle everyone who needed to transport one or two cars used. Thanks to the Post Office and public utilities making wide use of the FG, they were cheap and readily available. Especially if you bought one that had formerly been diesel powered from a specialist dealer who had bought the vehicle in question purely to remove its engine. But having said that, most of the GPO/Post Office FGs tended to have petrol engines, because they were used by Post Office Telephones rather than Royal Mail. This, though, was a further advantage for small garages, car dealers and budget/short circuit motorsport enthusiasts, as the mechanical side of a petrol FG was all traditional BMC stuff which…

The annual Jolly Boys Run took to the roads in early October with just over 30 vehicles making the trip around Derbyshire. Starting at Bakewell Livestock Centre, the lorries headed north towards Sheffield, then west to Whaley Bridge and then south along the infamous Long Hill Road towards Buxton. From there the route headed down to Ashbourne and on to Matlock before heading to the finishing point at The Tap Room, part of Thornbridge Brewery. With plenty of hills to climb and great scenery all round it was a very enjoyable run, and with October 5 being pencilled in for next year’s run, it is worth making a note in your diary.…

Christmas is the time most of us associate with snow, even though in reality ‘White Christmases’ are nothing like as common as card publishers, songwriters and so on would have us believe. Anyway, this was the scene on Nant-y-Caws Hill near Carmarthen, in January 1979, as a queue of lorries and other traffic struggle up the incline. We’ve chosen this image from the Western Mail of 46 years ago for two reasons. The first, obviously, is seasonal relevance. The second is the John Jempson & Son ergocabbed AEC which appears to have come to a halt. Based in Rye, East Sussex (but with a midlands depot based near Lutterworth in Leicestershire) Jempsons, whose history dated back to 1866, ceased trading earlier this year. Still just about moving we have a…

Supported by Kelsey Media, the 2024 Newark Vintage Tractor and Heritage Show was held at Newark Showground over the weekend of November 9-10. As the name implies, this is primarily a tractor and farm heritage event, but is attracting increasing support from the commercial vehicle fraternity who appreciate having an end-of-season event in the East Midlands. Several special events/displays were included including ones marking anniversaries of the ERF B-Series and Bedford O, along with an appreciation of Scammells. It was also noticeable that this event seemed to be supported by many lorries which aren’t seen that often elsewhere. Anyway, here are a small selection which caught the eye of photographer Stephen Colson – many thanks Stephen for sending them in.…

We welcome photos of older lorries (15 years and older) 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, PO Box 1243, SPALDING, PEl 1 9HE. 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.…

Back in the spring your Editor, along with Martyn the photographer, popped over to Shropshire to photograph Parry Davis’s latest restoration; the Bedford O which featured in our July 2024 issue. Afterwards, Parry offered to buy us both lunch “at a café which I think you might find interesting.” I agreed with one proviso; that I paid for lunch! The Old Piggery café near Whitchurch is part of the recently-opened Grocott Heritage Centre which celebrates the 76 year history of Grocontinental, whose distinctive white and purple livery was a familiar sight on British and European roads from the 1980s through to 2017 when, after three generations ownership by the Grocott family, the haulage and storage business was sold to AGRO Merchants. The Heritage Centre opened in 2023, and tells the…

The dateline for this image is August 1959, and the location is Leeds, West Yorkshire and specifically inside Skelton Grange B Power station, which was then under construction. The Kier Construction Austin 503 tipper dates from April 1956 so was just three years old when photographed; it looks a lot older and bears the scabs and scars of a short but hard working life. The rather vulnerable-looking flying A on the bonnet has survived the rough and tumble of everyday life on construction sites, but what effect that might have on any pedestrian or site-worker unlucky enough to come into contact with it doesn’t bear thinking about. The Austin looks to be delivering sand, gravel or similar, with the worker on the back modelling the classic builder’s ‘Donkey Jacket’ of the…