Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Heritage Commercials

The amazing Henry Ford was certainly no mug when it came to making money. He helped change the face of the motoring landscape with his innovative thinking. He was also broad-minded enough to realise it was not just cars that brought in the cash, and the third vehicle he built was a light commercial. The ‘Tin Lizzie’, as it was affectionately known, was produced between 1908 and 1927. The first car was completed on September 27th at the Piquette plant at Detroit, Michigan. It was the beginning of a revolution that would define the motor industry. The car that ‘put America on wheels’ was designed by Childe Harold Wills and two Hungarian immigrants, Joseph A Galamb and Eugene Farkas. Thanks mainly to the design’s simplicity and the novel concept of…

The new AEC Mammoth Major Mk.5s Fletcher’s used, had the AV 690 wet cylinder liner and CAV DPA rotary F.I.P., six-speed overdrive gearbox with double drive and 3rd diff axles, Jonno, had also specked a Tecalemit auto lube system. The pump was mounted on the left-hand chassis rail driven by a ‘linked leather’ drive belt from a pulley fastened to the output drive flange. This belt could be adjusted by removing separate leather links. The pump unit consisted of rows of three individual units, each serving one lubrication point on the chassis by way of a black polythene pipe, each end of which was identified by a black numbered yellow tag. It came as quite a surprise that Jonno, had included an auto lube, (takes you back to Sentinel days,…

The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show with discovery+ returned to the NEC over the Remembrance Sunday weekend, which saw around 70,000 enthusiasts attend over the three days. There were more than 300 clubs exhibiting as well as many vehicles for sale via the various auctions, in fact it was said around 3,000 plus vehicles were on display. As always, the Minor LCV Register were out in force with what is best described as an ‘Array of Austins’, seeing two vans and two pick-ups in attendance. After snapping these, before the show opened to the public, I set about locating the commercials, I searched all the halls which were packed with mainly classic cars. A few Ford Transits were found, I snapped a simply stunning green Mini pick-up, and a nice…

Over half a million 6x6 Jimmys were delivered by General Motors (GM) during World War Two. (‘Jimmy’ was US Army slang for GM.) All in all, type CCKW 2.5-tonners (also known as ‘Duce-and-a-half’) accounted for around 40-percent of GM’s group-wide WW2 contracts for a combined total WW2 of some 1,200,000 million trucks for US, British/British Commonwealth and allied armed forces. The other 60-percent or so comprised 201,000 Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) Chevrolets, 280,000 US Chevrolets and 250,000 Bedfords. In those days, General Motors was the world’s biggest industrial corporation. The claim: ‘What’s good for GM is good for America – and what’s good for America is good for GM’ has considerable justification. This certainly held true when the US became a direct participant in WW2 following the Japanese 7 December…

If you have enjoyed this issue of Heritage Commercials and have a passion for the world of classic lorries, trucks and vans, then why not subscribe? You will save money on the shop price and receive every issue delivered directly to your door! WHY SUBSCRIBE? ➔ NEVER MISS AN ISSUE ➔ FREE DELIVERY DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR ➔ BE THE FIRST TO READ NEW CONTENT ➔ SAVE MONEY ON SHOP PRICES OFFER 1. DIGITAL EDITION 12 ISSUES FOR JUST £32.99 SAVE 41% TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE DIGITAL EDITION VISIT: shop.kelsey.co.uk/HCM…

“My expertise with trucks started from when I was born,” began Gary. “My dad was a long distance lorry driver and my dad and uncle always had lorries that they showed at vintage rallies. When I was 18 I passed my class one and I did the young driver’s scheme. I always liked ERF. I can remember a lot of times spent in them going to vintage rallies with my uncle Ivor as he always had them to take his tractors to shows. I have always worked with lorries and I am competent with mechanics. These skills were taught to me by my dad and uncles and they noted I was a good student!” Gary’s dad was a guiding influence, as he drove for a few local companies. These included…

PART THREE Another great British product we would never have expected to see in France was a Humber FV1601A, one-ton, military truck in commercial guise. This 1952 ex-British Army truck was one of a group bought from the Ruddington defence sales and exported to Switzerland. We think that this example was converted into a light breakdown recovery truck after export with a Harvey Frost crane. It worked for a General Motors dealership in Martigny and was still displaying the old four-digit region codes and six-digit telephone numbers. This had been transported up from Italy in the care of ex-pat trucker Nicky Armstrong, now resident in Aoli in Italy. It appears to be chassis number 43457 which should make the old British Army registration 34 BK 57. You start to feel…

American trucks are very Marmitey to many British truck enthusiasts – some love them, others are more ambivalent to their clear differences to European vehicles. Sadly the American truck scene has changed dramatically in recent decades and not all for the best. Gone are the plethora of Cabovers that were so common in the 1970s and 1980s. Changes in legislation has made conventional – bonneted – trucks the preferred type for operators as no length restriction on the tractor units means hauliers can have bonnets – so no engine hump – and also exploit huge sleeper cabs which offer so much more room than the European vehicles. Long haul trucks remain pretty much as they have since the 1950s – a 6x4 tractor unit hauling a long two-axle trailer with…

The Austin A30 5cwt van was produced from October 1954, three years after the launch of the A30 saloon, it remained in production until September 1956, when it was superseded by the A35. It was a designated as a series 4 and will read AV4 on the VIN plate followed by the chassis number. This 5cwt all-steel body was complete with a roof vent had a capacity of 60cf, fitted with a wide single door at the rear that hinged on the off-side it was equipped with stay/lock to prevent its opening beyond the width of the body. Pressed steel disc wheels were supplied painted black, in fact, all commercial rims were black except for late A35 vans when Snowberry white was adopted. The motoring press at the time were…

On the 1st of January 2023 we staged a photoshoot to record Ken and Ray Walsh’s almost-complete Austin K8 restoration. What they’ve accomplished from what in truth amounted to two piles of scrap is nothing short of fantastic. But behind the Happy New Year smiles and handshakes, they didn’t seem quite as chuffed as they should have been. Since the project got underway at the beginning of October, I’d visited their lockup a few times to record progress. In late November, everything was on track for completion before Christmas. Then the gremlins hit the fan – literally. “For Ray and I, time is not elastic,” Ken Walsh explains. “We are ruthless about hitting deadlines. But that’s our hobby, doing the best possible job, affordably, and in the fastest possible time.”…

MAN had started to sell in the UK in the early 1970s with the 16.232 4x2 its most popular tractor unit. It had proved to be a good fit for the UK when sales started in 1974. Not only was it a good match for the foreign imports from Sweden, the Netherlands, France, and indeed Germany as well, but it was also good enough to give the British manufacturers a run for their money. As the MAN dealers and back up network increased, the new German interloper was proving a serious proposition to British hauliers, and those that ‘took a punt’ and put their faith in the product were generally rewarded and happy with their choice. The 16.232 and its later derivatives, the 16.240 and 16.280, was head and shoulders…

DON’T MISS OUT! MAKE SURE OF YOUR COPY NOW March 2023 issue on sale: February 24, 2023 Terms and conditions apply. You will receive your copy on or around 24 February 2023. Delivery is included in the cover price for UK customers only. An additional £1 will be added to any overseas address.**lines are open Mon-Fri8.30am-5.30pm. Calls charged at your standard network rate ORDER ONLINE AT: Shop.kelsey.co.uk/HCM12215 CALL NOW ON: 01959 543747** Quote Ref: HCM12215…