Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i Classic & Vintage Commercials

Welcome to the first issue of Classic & Vintage Commercials of 2025, and I start with some very good news; the all-new Classic & Vintage Commercials website at www.cvcmag.com is now fully up and running, and being updated regularly. As I mentioned last month, my other half Sarah is going to be looking after this on a day-to-day basis. This is all a bit new to us at present but please bear with us as we’re enjoying getting to grips with it all.’ I can, though, now tell you a little more about our exciting plans. The content is going to be a mix of favourite copy from the magazine including, additional photographs and other material which we haven’t got room for in the printed magazine, along with fresh and…

Following last month’s Papworth Coachworks instalment on bodywork built for broadcasting vehicles, Alan Robinson (the former long-term employee responsible for saving the photos and making them available to us) has sent us a photograph of a Hungarian stamp that is also in the archive and which, as you can see, actually features one of the vehicles that was built for Pye and subsequently sold/exported to Hungary. This might at first glance seem a slightly unusual subject to feature on a postage stamp, but the cold war era communist-controlled countries like Hungary were often keen to promote the latest technological innovations available to their people. Even when, as here, said technology was not in any way but had it had been bought in from the capitalist West!…

Such are the numbers and varieties of lorries that have come and gone over the years, the scope for photography and gathering fleet details is almost limitless. It is largely thanks to individual enthusiasts that the history of our haulage industry has been recorded for posterity. Of course, every mode of transport has its followers, whether it’s rail, bus, aircraft or even cycling – all of which the general public experience as part of their lives – but lorries are often ignored or even disliked by the public at large. Thankfully haulage vehicles, so vital to modern society, have captured the imagination of hundreds of dedicated enthusiasts, enabling us to look back to past eras and enjoy that unique sense of nostalgia. This has only been possible through the efforts…

Garry Fitch’s love of the Bedford marque is, it would probably be fair to say, already wellknown within commercial vehicle preservation. That is, though through a collection of vehicles which are, shall we say, a teeny bit older than this 1990 Rascal. With his late father Alvar who sadly passed away in 2021, Gary restored a 1936 WTL, a 1952 OLBD and a 1958 D6L, and we’ve featured these in the past. This, though, is something a bit different. So the first question was, obviously, why? His reply was that he is a “Bedford nut” and while his Dad had always been interested in older stuff (Alvar, apparently wouldn’t add a TK to the collection because he considered it “too modern”) his interests are somewhat wider. He also points out…

Around 60 vehicles took to the roads of West Yorkshire in the Autumn sunshine on October 27 2024 for the annual Halloween Run. As usual, well-known local enthusiast and collector Johnny Murphy headed up a hard-working team that enabled the run to take place. Participants made their way from Huddersfield to the Redbeck Motel and Café in Wakefield, a total distance of around 18 miles. Although it isn’t the year’s final road run in the region it does have that end of season feel. It was a great day out. And long may it continue.…

The North Sea Flood of January/February 1953 was the worst in England or Scotland in the entire 20th century. Due to freak weather conditions in the North Sea, plus inadequate and poorly maintained flood defences, large areas of the East Coast were engulfed by sea water, with Canvey Island, Felixstowe and Jaywick especially hard-hit, along with the north east coast of Scotland. In all, 990 miles of coastline was affected, sea defences were breached in around 1200 separate places, and 160,000 acres were flooded. In the UK, 307 people lost their lives, and over 30,000 had to move out of their homes, many taking only the clothes they were wearing. There was also extensive damage and loss of life on the continent, with Belgium and Holland especially hardhit, while in…

BEDFORD ORESTORATION Over the past few months Alan Robinson has shared his Papworth photographs with us; now we’re looking at his personal restoration project. As you’d expect, it’s splendid! VOLVOF10 33 years old, but still in regular revenue-earning service! A40 DEVON RESTORATION Stunning job by a retired stock-car racer. MILKMAN’S MEMORIES Nothing X-rated – well not much anyway! PLUS: Whitewebbs Museum visit, more Kent & Sussex photos from Les Freathy, Commer Superpoise Models Pt1, all our fabulous regular features plus, of course, plenty of pleasant surprises! These features are all planned at the time of going to press. We reserve the right to make changes and amendments if necessary.…

Sealey have launched their new 2025 tool promotion which, they say, includes over 1470 “incredible deals” and more than 130 new products. Unsurprisingly perhaps, the main thrust at this time of year is on heating, charging, and lighting “essentials.” There are also additions to the already comprehensive range of lifting and supporting equipment. One item that especially caught our eye in a “I can’t believe no-one’s done this before” kind of way is the SCRT01 Topside Engine Bay Creeper designed to ease working on vehicles such as commercials with high engine bay access. Featuring, Sealey say, multi-height and angle adjustments, there is also a 60mm deep foam body pad, covered in heavy-duty vinyl, ensuring “a comfortable working experience” even during extended use. Built with a robust powdercoated steel frame for…

December 2024 marked the 125th anniversary of the Albion Motor Car Company, which went on to become the Albion Motors, concentrating on commercial vehicles from 1909. However by slightly sad co-incidence, in early October and just two months before the anniversary, the last remaining Albion Automotive production facility in Scotstoun, Glasgow closed. This was owned by the American Axle Company and the closure was, apparently, due to “a long-term business with our biggest customer not being extended.” The Albion Club are marking this final closure, and the anniversary, with an end-of-an-era road run in Glasgow on Sunday April 13. Held in conjunction with the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust, the run will start from the GVVT’s Bridgetown Bus Garage and take in several points of Albion interest including the Finnieston Street…

Wrexham was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, when John (“Iron Mad”) Wilkinson established the Bersham Ironworks. Among other things, the plant made some of James Watt’s first steam engines. Coal mining was also important, along with brewing, leather, and steel. Most of this is now a distant memory, but haulage is still an important part of the local community. Brian Owen has lived near Wrexham all his life and has been involved in the family business since he left school. “My Father started the firm in 1955. He was a bus driver but was made redundant for health reasons. One of his friends suggested he bought a lorry, so he bought an Austin K2 and started driving for a local limestone quarry. “The…

Here we have a further selection of lorries from my collection, this time vehicles from the heavier end of the scale including tractor units and heavy haulage tractors for drawbar operation. Unfortunately, some of the names of the firms depicted are no longer with us, but they may be around having being absorbed into larger groups, something I am not well versed on. Gone are the days when we could see the likes of Wynn’s from Newport and Pickford’s who had various depots around the country. Indeed, even some later specialists like Abnormal Load Engineering (A.L.E.) have been taken over, these are still in Hixon, near Stafford but now operate under the Mammoet umbrella with a worldwide network. However as always, I hope the readers enjoy the photographs.…

British Motor Museum shows manager Tom Caren has been in touch with news of the museum’s shows for 2025 that are relevant to commercial vehicle owners, and there are a couple of significant changes to note. Firstly, the Classic & Vintage Commercials Show will be taking place over the weekend of June 14-15. As in past years, the main event will be on the Sunday. This is always one of the major events of the commercial vehicle show calendar, and well supported. Vehicle entries should be pre-booked via the website address below. In the past, the Ford Transit Club have tended to utilise the Saturday of the show to hold their annual gathering and AGM, with members making a full weekend of it. This year however that will not be…

This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Commercial Vehicle & Road Transport Club (CVRTC). The club was founded by a group of like-minded lorry enthusiasts back in June 1965 with the aim of sharing information such as fleet lists, photos and history of haulage fleets old and new. Regular newsletters kept members informed and regular meetings were held where they could swap stories and enjoy slide shows or model displays. Very soon the CVRTC grew into a national club with members throughout the UK and even many overseas members. One notable achievement was the creation of what became one of the UK’s biggest and best annual lorry events, namely the Classic Commercial Motor Show, first held at the Lorry Driver of the Year Finals at Cranfield in 1979. This…

While some lorry manufacturers seek to score points over their rivals with futuristic cab designs, often commissioned from exotic sounding European designers, Atkinson of Preston chose a different approach and stuck with their time-honoured traditional style. The iconic ‘outside radiator’ with the ‘Big A’ badge that became their trademark over the years seemed to have its own special appeal. On the odd occasions that they did try to modernise, as with the Bodyline, Guardsman and the later Viewline cabs, their customers gave them an emphatic thumbs down. Though a relatively low-volume producer, Atkinson ranked with the leading ‘premium’ manufacturers and built an extensive range from four-wheelers up to maximum weight artics and even specialist heavy haulage tractors. As well as having a good share of the UK market they enjoyed…

Last year, we published a set of mystery photographs sent in by a reader who had, apparently, found them in the glovebox of a car that had come into the scrapyard where he worked. One was of a Bristol HA6LL tractor unit which appeared to have been restored into its original BRS livery. But the thing which I noticed about it was the NEG registration number – an original Peterborough mark. I was also sure that at one time I’d seen this particular lorry out and about on the local show circuit. After the photos had been published I heard from Martin Webb, who was pleased to advise that NEG863 was in good hands – his! It was also now local once again, though he had bought it from a…

Despite the terrible weather conditions, over 30 commercials gathered at Leyland for the annual Autumn Leaves Road Run on October 20. The route took the vehicles through Preston before heading along the A59 to Gisburn and then north along the A682 and then west along the A65 before passing through Settle and a steady climb along the A6480. From there it was downhill to Kirkby Lonsdale before heading through a series of villages before arriving at Carnforth Truckhaven. For much of the route, the weather was awful, gale force winds and heavy rain, but as Carnforth came into sight, the weather changed with glorious sunshine greeting the vehicles..…

Find back issues: shop.kelsey.co.uk/cvcback or call 01959 543 747 October 2023 • Dodge 300 Restoration • Volvo F10/F12/F16 profile • Circus Classics • AEC Rally • Standard Vanguard Vans November 2023 • Austin K2 • Volvo F12 & F16 • Mercedes-BenzLF408G • Oil Exploration Giants • Black Country Museum December 2023 • Volvo F88 • Foden 6x4 • PO Telephones Bedford HA • Atkinsons at Sandtoft • Refuse Collection Lorries January 2024 • AEC Mammoth Major • Foden 6x4 • Atkinson Borderer • Fordson E83W • Refuse Collection February 2024 • ERF Eight Wheelers • Ford Transcontinental • London Pride Historic images • Morris Minor van March 2024 Ford Transcontinental • Bedford WLG • Morris J Type • Refuse Collection • Nick Baldwin 1945-2024 April 2024 Atkinson Viewline in close-up…