Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i Heritage Commercials

These two from Amberley-Books are a nice size to have on your coffee table to pick up and read at your leisure. The first book records the origins of Dennis Brothers dating back to the 1890s when John Dennis began building bicycles. In 1901, he started building motor vehicles, first cars and then vans, fire engines and buses. Car production stopped in 1913, but development of larger vehicles grew and by the end of the First World War, Dennis vehicles could be seen all over the UK and in several overseas countries. The company was sold to the Hestair Group in 1972 and later purchased by consortium Alexander Dennis. Dennis has produced a wide variety of buses over the years and is now the UK’s largest manufacturer of passenger transport…

Southern Counties Auctioneers conducted an important and well attended sale for the Evans Family near Sherborne, Dorset earlier in the year, writes Joseph Lewis. One of the star lots was a 1916 Ford Model T two-seat Roadster pick-up. Listed as a ‘nice useable, vintage car’, this 2893cc model did not require any road tax or MoT. The oak pick-up bed features a small flap to access the battery and can be started by hand crank or by foot button by the driver. The battery is charged via a dynator fitted by the Vendor. The original gas lamps are fitted front and back, along with 12 volt lights to the front. This was the last of the brass range, so has a brass radiator and lights. This Model T was shown…

Experienced skiers – and the foolhardy – eschew prepared ski runs and go off-piste. Similarly, Switzerland’s truck manufacturers tended to defy convention and opt for the freedom of original thinking. That none survive today is largely the consequence of lack of the volume necessary to be competitive against Europe’s heavyweights. The industry’s decline took hold in the 1970s. Several decades earlier, the minor players – notably Safir, Arbenz and its successor Oetiker – went off-piste and met their ends with either an avalanche of debt or ceased operations when appearing to be on the cusp of achieving their ambition. Safir, founded in 1907 by Anton Dufour and Jakob Schmidheiny, collapsed after only a year. Having secured a Saurer licence and producing a handful of trucks, their attention switched to diesel…

Now in its eleventh year The Rural Past Times Vintage Working Weekend held at Horns Cross in East Sussex, once again attracted large crowds to the countryside event. The show’s principal aim is to provide an insight into the working world of farming throughout the ages including country pursuits. For the commercial vehicle enthusiast there was plenty to see at the show that throughout its two days raised a considerable amount of money for local and regional charities. During the course of the two-day show visitors saw four dozen vintage commercial vehicles on display including a 1925 Ford Model T van, a 1930s AEC Matador and a display from the Scammell Register who displayed a couple of heavy Pioneer trucks at the show. Of particular interest was a 1948 Austin…

OCTOBER 2023 COVER: ATKINSON BORDERER INSIDE: Bedford PC van, Swiss trucks and Renault 5 vans 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…

This nice letter was sent in by Alan Biggs. I have been reading my September issue of Heritage Commercials, a great read as usual. A great write-up on the Ford Thames Trader and photos. The 6x4 conversions – great photos. My favourite, the A J Brush Ltd., on page eight. I remember this old firm, they were a bottle-green colour. This one has the round badge on the grille so, AWD. Sadly, Brush’s were taken over by Greenham in the early 1980s. A J Brush ran through the 1950s, 60s and 70s up until 1981/82. They had Leyland 8x4 Constructor T45s, but by 1983, Greenham had taken over the pits. I did not know the Essex pit, but Brush had a gravel pit in Bramfield Lane, Waterford near Hertford. My…

William Mitchell, didn’t have to go far for this pair of classics, they were at the end of his street. Peterbilt double drive of Ross Towing, London, Ontario, have a magnificent fleet always turned out smart – with a stricken Western Star VAC truck with a full load – quite a pull for the Pete. It made quite an impressive sight and sound pulling away. CHARLIE WATERS hc.ed@kelsey.co.uk Heritage Commercials, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent.…

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Following-on from my articles on the Weaver’s of Corvedale, Salop, I thought I would take a look-back at other lorries that I have encountered over the years from operators based in the county of Shropshire. One of the firm’s I visited with the intention of photographing their rigid eight flats – a true lorry enthusiasts favourite – was The Direct Transport from Gobowen, near Oswestry. Here I was made to feel most welcome by the then owner Dennis Charles, who not only pulled-out some of their lovely dark-blue liveried Foden eight-wheelers from the shed in which they were slumbering, but later very kindly sent me some photos of the company’s earlier Foden lorries. This was way back in 1990 and, sadly, since then the firm has ceased operations. Dennis’s father,…

The second offering from Amberley-Books focuses on bus operations across Hampshire and each district, town and city in the county gets their bus scene fully illustrated. Major companies also feature as well as municipal operations across the county including; Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton which features trolleybuses at Portsmouth until 1963 and Bournemouth until 1969. Large independents – Provincial at Gosport and King Alfred at Winchester are also included along with smaller independents which focused more on rural bus routes. Royal Blue Express Services, which operated across Hampshire and beyond are also included. Well documented by Hampshire born and bred author Philip Wallis, the book recalls a bygone but not too distant era and recalls some of the bus companies that disappeared under National Bus Company rationalisation. Another nice handy-sized book…

Ashley’s visits to Malta never fail to turn up a car, van, lorry or bus he hasn’t seen before. The last visit enabled him to catch up with a number of vehicle owners from around the island. There are still a number of AEC, Bedford, Ford, ERF, Foden and Leyland lorries working hard daily. Coles cranes still do a good day’s work and it’s nice see them in action. Some of the old Malta buses are being restored and are working on tourist routes along with weddings etc. The Maltese are very talented when it comes to vehicles and are always happy to show you their part restored or finished vehicle.…

General Motor Corporation, GMC, the giant American conglomerate, had taken over Vauxhall/Bedford and was looking to expand its range as it had been marketing its own Chevrolet products, which is why it is not unusual to hear of Chevrolet light trucks and buses being used by operators in the UK in the twenties and thirties after their arrival on the domestic UK market from 1923. They were ‘allowed’ into Britain under the auspices of an ‘Imperial Preference’ diktat which gave vehicles built in Canada preferential treatment to be imported into the UK market. It is suggested that it was the bureaucratic snail-like actions of traffic law regarding the weight regulations in Britain which led to the slow introduction of quality load-carrying lorries as all over 50 cwt, unladen vehicles were…

I admit, I’m running out of things to say in praise of the Retro Truck Show. Put it this way, it’s a must-attend event in the calendar, proven by the fact I’ve only missed one since it started in 2010. Every year there’s something new. This year, a Scania LB80 and an Iveco 190.36 were the stars of the show, both different, both superbly rebuilt to recreate just how trucks looked in the 1970s and 1980s respectively. Both could be used in gritty northern dramas from those periods where TV producers are looking for the right truck for the era! Anyway, on a hot a sunny Saturday September 9, I made my annual pilgrimage to Gaydon to the British Motor Museum to see what organising guru Lee Herbert had laid…

Hardback 208 pages ISBN: 9780719840586 £40.00 Published by the Crowood Press www.crowood.com An excellent reference book compiled by experts Theo Ford-Sagers & Benjamin Stowe. The book follows a restoration of a 1957 Series I 109in Land Rover Series, this Restoration Manual has been written with the home restorer in mind and the aim of providing knowledge, confidence and the technical details required for a full restoration. There is a nice introduction chapter that covers history as well as the models available, with some great photographs. Each task is broken down into step-by-step guide with instructions that accompany photographs, covers from minor repair and maintenance procedures to a thorough inspection and refurbishment of the engine’s core components. There are additional tips on how to keep restoration costs under control and what…

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 in the…

Chatham Historic Dockyard nestling on the banks of the River Medway in Kent played host to their annual end of season spectacular event Salute to the 1940s on the weekend of 9th and 10th of September. Celebrating all things 1940s, the event has over the last decade or so attracted thousands of re-enactors and increasingly historic cars and transport vehicles have been drawn to the show. This year, several interesting vehicles were present at the former home of the Royal Navy that has since 1985 been transformed into the historic and cultural hub of the Medway Towns. The central parade ground in front of the grade one listed slipways, where once great battleships and submarines were launched played host to delivery trucks and vans that would not have been out…

In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the UK waste disposal business was undergoing a revolution in types of equipment and vehicles for the transport of dry wastes. Cleansing Service Group introduced a number of dry waste collection systems to its fleet. One such was the Powell Duffryn Dinosaur roll-on-off system the 13TR24 model. This was mounted onto either a Foden S39 or a Foden S40 6x4 24-tonne chassis and could carry either a 30 cubic yard open top or a 35 cubic yard enclosed container, the latter for use with a static compactor. In the early 1980s, Cleansing Service Group added hook loader units to their Dinosaur roll-on-off fleet. The hook loader could be mounted onto a four axle 30-tonne chassis, thus achieving a higher payload, and could also carry…

The National Motor Museum in the heart of the New Forest National Park, as usual, was the host of the International Autojumble on 2nd and 3rd September 2023. More than 30,000 showgoers turned out for Beaulieu’s event assisted by the glorious weather. It was wonderful to see the overseas visitors back in their droves and the event was also bigger than last year’s, even featuring a Live stage event, that featured Danny Hopkins and Steph Holloway. I visited on the Sunday and the weather was fantastic, commercials were a bit thin on the ground, but walking around odd ones are seen on the stalls, I did see a lovely Citroën Acadiane, well I nearly missed it, as it was covered with items for sale, and an early converted Morris Bull-nose…

A notable variety of commercial vehicles were exhibited, ranging from company heritage to local owners. Gregory Distribution Ltd had brought three of their five heritage ambassador trucks. These are representative of the Company’s 100 years, from the very start in 1919 up to the 2019 Scania R450. On show was the genuine 1918 Ford Model T 1-ton Truck. This is an early Ford believed to have been built in Manchester. Archie owned two Model T Fords (OH 2642 and TA 2868) and between them they worked from 1919 to the early 1930s. This 22.5hp model took three years to find and another year to lovingly restore. Next came a 1951 Bedford ‘O’ Series MOD 173. This ‘O’ series lorry is identical to the example that Jack Gregory purchased in 1949.…

You could probably study a degree course on Foden cab designations. They were never easy to understand, especially as they were technically not the model number, which was equally confusing. However, hauliers and salesmen alike soon referred to vehicles by their S-prefixed designations. The first Foden cab designation was the W2 in 1932, the year it started to sell diesel lorries. But from 1935, the S2 designation was used. Then came the S9 a year later and the S10 in 1938. Over the years they were followed by the S15, S18, S19, S20, S21, S24, S30, S34, S35, S36, S37, S30, S39, S40, S41, S50, S51, S55, S60, S70, S80, S81, S83, S85, S90, S93 and S95. And in among that lot was the FE4/8, which had no S designation…

Hardback 288 pages ISBN: 9780719841859 £40.00 Published by the Crowood Press www.crowood.com A Series Land Rover has to be the ultimate life-sized automotive jigsaw puzzle. Simple to repair, with a good supply of new and used parts, a restoration is well within the capabilities of an amateur mechanic. While the official Parts and Workshop Manuals can be considered essential reading, they were written for professional mechanics working on reasonably new, unmodified vehicles – not a 60-year-old model assembled with parts from different eras. They will tell you very little about parts compatibility over the generations, how to repair a bulkhead or front panel or the best techniques to assemble your vehicle onto a new chassis. This manual seeks to answer many of the commonly asked questions and offers practical solutions,…