Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2023 i Heritage Commercials

Chickerell classic The 2023 Chickerell Steam and Vintage Show was held at Moor Farm, Knights in the Bottom, Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset in July, in memory of Katie ‘Blondie’ Miller with gratitude to land owners Stephen Vine and John Hollins writes Joseph Lewis. Spread over three fields, field one held the steam, tractors and commercials sections. More than 40 commercial entries were presided over by Steward Alan Mowlam with the section sponsored by Dave Bevis Haulage. Listed commercials ranged from a 1947 Austin pick-up owned by Richard Dunford from Portland to a 2016 Scania V8 owned by Brian Oldridge from Weymouth. One of the classic highlights was a 1994 Volvo FL10 tractor unit previously used on general haulage in Barnstaple, Devon and now owned by Brian Oldridge. Additional commercial interest came…

Mike’s background is in farming and heavy haulage. Before he took a well-earned retirement he ran his own transport company and specialised in moving unusual objects like the Flying Scotsman steam locomotive. “The family have lived on the same farm since 1901,” he explained. “I’ve seen some changes over the years, particularly with regards to commercial vehicles.” Mike is the third generation of Lawrences to live on the farm, and in recent years has held agricultural working days to raise money for charity. Enthusiasts come from far and wide to see his veteran machinery in action, and the profits are all given to his four favourite charities, The Weston-Super-Mare Hospice, The Bristol Children’s Hospice, Macmillan Nurses, and Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. “We co-operate with local tractor clubs on our…

Mid-August, the French system is in the middle of the school holidays and is just about starting to think about ‘La Rentrée’ when all French parents breathe a huge sigh of relief and discharge their kiddies back to the 12-hour-a-day care of their teachers. However, during those eight glorious holiday weeks, the circus folk are making the most of this compacted time by moving from town-to-town, night after night, putting on their animal-based shows. On a sweltering summer afternoon, a rolling convoy of living accommodation, animal cages and logistics hit the town of Magnac-Laval in the Haute-Vienne department of central south-west France. The village is a bit of a bottleneck at the best of times, but when four, 40ft semi-trailers, towing extra 20-foot living vans, arrive in town, you just…

It’s fair to say I have a real soft spot for the Volvo FM as it was the truck I passed my HGV tests in and I have always enjoyed driving them ever since. FM means Forward control, Medium entry cab – the FH being Forward control, High entry and the FL (as in the new FLs that were built after the FM was introduced) for the Low entry. Since their introduction 25 years ago in 1998, the FM has evolved and the basic cab has only just ended production in 2021 after 23 years and three major facelifts, the most recent being in 2013, and the most striking. THE BIRTH OF THE FM In 1993, Volvo launched its all new FH to replace the much-loved and hugely successful F10/12/16…

Alan Coxill runs a vehicle restoration business with son Mark in Knighton, Powys. He has lived in the area all his life and is a lorry driver to trade. “I started off in the workshop of contractors R. M. Woolley in nearby Bucknall,” he recalls. “I then drove a Borderer for J Pugh & Sons in Lydbury North, Shropshire.” Alan worked for several local haulage companies including Roberts Transport in Knighton, before deciding to start his own business. “I opened my commercial vehicle restoration business in 2009,” he said. “The first lorry we restored was an ERF KV. My son Mark is involved in the business, and my other son David helps out when he is available. The jobs come through word of mouth, and we normally work on two…

The brand has figured highly in the lives of many Australians for a variety of reasons. At the start of Kenworth’s journey in this country, one man in particular went onto having a career with and respect for the brand, that being Alec Ireland. Before Alec’s involvement with the brand, we need to go back to the 1950s when Ed Cameron and his brother Don had an established fruit carrying business based in Doncaster in Melbourne’s east. No matter what brand of truck they bought, they were always dissatisfied with their power, reliability and braking capacity. The year 1952 was pivotal in this story as an ex-army mate of Ed’s who had driven for Camerons, Jack Bateman, went on a world tour with his wife and ‘jagged’ a job in…

‘In Switzerland they had brotherly love, 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.’ Spoken by the Harry Lime character (played by Orson Welles), this is most famous line in 1949’s The Third Man, rated as the greatest British movie of all time. Those involved in its production were obviously automotive outsiders – also, all credit to those far-from-cuckoo Swiss watchmakers, whose timepieces sell for thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands of pounds. But vastly more interesting were Switzerland’s clutch of innovative truck and diesel engine manufacturers. Arbenz was the smallest. Founded in 1904, it was taken over in 1928 by Oetiker in 1928, which fell by the wayside in 1936. Berna was established in 1905. In 1929 – by then the second biggest…

The Renault 5 was originally marketed as a three or five-door, front-engined front-wheel drive passenger hatchback. It was produced the R5 during the first generation from 1972-1985, and then later the second generation as Super 5 (if you prefer French ‘Supercing’), for the years 1984-1996. The R5 was marketed in the US and Canada as the ‘Le Car’, from 1976 to 1983. The Renault 5 van (not to be confused with the Renault Extra van, that’s a different story altogether) went on sale in the UK during September 1986, it was basically a Renault 5TL hatchback a car derived van (CDV) with its side windows replaced by steel panels. Obviously supplied without a rear seat and a flat floor that was carpeted, it had four anchorage rings set into the…

The summer is always busy for me with events across the country, feature visits to see vehicles for Trucking and even the odd shift helping out a friend when he’s short of lorry drivers, so to find a Sunday wholly spare was a rarity. Then, I discovered the annual Wisbech Road run was being held on Sunday August 20, and it passed through Spalding where I currently live. The weather was also looking pretty favourable, so I couldn’t resist going out to take a few snaps. Except it didn’t quite go to plan! I decided to leave early to suss out the best spot for the light angles and eventually settled on a nice spot just south of the roundabout at Cowbit. The sun was perfect and there were plenty…

AMESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR 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! SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS → ENJOY ONE WHOLE YEAR OF HERITAGE COMMERCIALS → GET EACH ISSUE DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR IN 100% PLASTIC-FREE PACKAGING → SAVE UP TO £45* → NEVER MISS AN ISSUE OF YOUR MUST-HAVE MAGAZINE SAVE UP TO £45 ON YOUR SUBSCRIPTION Scan me EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE 1. GO TO SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/HERITAGE-COMMERCIALS-MAGAZINE 2. CALL US 01959 543747 QUOTE HERITAGE COMMERCIALS 3. USE THIS QR CODE TO GO DIRECTLY TO OUR WEBSITE 4. COMPLETE THE FREEPOST POSTAL COUPON Lines open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm.…

Somerset Traction Engine Club held their Somerset Steam and Country Show at Low Ham, near Langport in late July, courtesy of the Cook Family writes Joseph Lewis. Highlights included steam engines, tractors and commercial vehicles plus the auction conducted by Pitcher and Associates. Commercial vehicles included a Bedford ‘K’ series to a 1986 Seddon Atkinson 411. One of the stars of the whole event was a 1932 Commer service and breakdown truck owned by fourth owners Graham and Donna Skinner. The Commer was supplied brand new to Trio Motor Services at Cardiff for £327.50p and Trio closed in 1976. Unusually, this vehicle was supplied new as a service and breakdown truck by Commer using their 20/25 engine and chassis. Another notable element was the recovery gear is not a generally…

SEPTEMBER 2023 COVER: AEC MANDATOR INSIDE: Thames Trader, The ATHS Show and US West Coast Trucks AUGUST 2023 COVER: Ford 11Y truck INSIDE: A35 pick-up, Recovery lorries, Leyland Beaver JULY 2023 COVER STORY: Recovery Lorries INSIDE: Thornycroft, The Humber story, DFD Rhodes of Australia JUNE 2023 COVER STORY: Albion Super Riever INSIDE: Foden S39, Unconventional lorries, Leyland FK7 MAY 2023 COVER STORY: Singer Nine Van INSIDE: Foden FE4/8, Minor LCVs, Leyland FK7, ERF, Volvo FH APRIL 2023 COVER STORY: Volvo F88 INSIDE: Weaver’s of Corvedale, Marmon and Marmon-Herrington, MARCH 2023 COVER: Leyland Reiver INSIDE: 100-ton Heavies, Reliant Regal Van, Foden, Dennis Eagle FEBRUARY 2023 COVER STORY: Ford Model T INSIDE: General Motors, ERF, Austin A30/35 Commercials, La Loco en Fete JANUARY 2023 COVER STORY: Foden S21 INSIDE: Datsun F20 Cabstar,…

Euclid revisited Thought I would pop back in and see the old Euclid in Comber lakeshore near Windsor, Ontario writes William Mitchell. It’s still in one piece and used on occasion but its twin has been made into a farm trailer, the Cummings laying broken to one side. One highlight though, is that I got the radiator and surround as a piece for my garage wall – albeit with some substantial fasteners! William Mitchell Southwestern Ontario Supervisor / Superviseur Sud-Ouest Ontario National Long Haul Networks Operations Volvo F7letter Find enclosed a picture of the same Volvo F7 twin steer tractor unitasmentioned by Huw Dodd (Heritage Commercials, August 2023). This was taken in the trailer park at an AEC Society rally in Nottingham back in the 1990s. I have a feeling…