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    British Lorries of the 1960s
    British Lorries of the 1960s
    British Lorries of the 1960s
    Ebook114 pages30 minutes

    British Lorries of the 1960s

    By Malcolm Bobbitt

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    About this ebook

    British commercial manufacturers played a prime role in boosting Britain's economy during the 1960s, especially as many vehicles were exported worldwide. British lorries were, therefore, considered as being the workhorses of the world, performing a wide range of duties from heavy haulage to general goods delivery.
    This highly visual study of British lorries of the 1960s captures in 120 illustrations this often understated but very necessary work, which was undertaken day and night, 365 days a year. The images, many contemporary colour and black and white, include some delightful publicity items in addition to covering the heritage and preservation scenes. The comprehensive text reveals much about the marques that were everyday names, along with information about Britain's road haulage and commercial vehicle industries.
    Malcolm Bobbitt is the author of some thirty automotive books and is a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and the Society of Automotive Historians. This book will rekindle many memories and serve as a reminder of the important role British commercial vehicles played during the 1960s.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherVeloce
    Release dateApr 10, 2013
    ISBN9781845844905
    British Lorries of the 1960s
    Author

    Malcolm Bobbitt

    MALCOLM BOBBITT is a professional motoring writer and author of about forty books. He is a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and editor of the SAHB Times, published by the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain.

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      Book preview

      British Lorries of the 1960s - Malcolm Bobbitt

      Introduction and acknowledgements

      ‘A wind of change,’ the words of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan sum up the sixties as the decade of new horizons. Leaving the fifties behind, the country waved goodbye to an age of restrictions and austerity, and although ‘Super Mac’ was referring to South Africa when he made his Wind of Change speech, his terminology is nevertheless apt when used to describe Britain’s commercial motor industry.

      When the London Commercial Motor Show opened on 23rd September 1960, the 441 vehicles and trailers exhibited were almost exclusively of British manufacture. At the 1968 show, however, change was certainly the theme, and the representation of foreign vehicles indicated a turbulent future for Britain’s lorry makers.

      British lorries underwent enormous change during the sixties. Manufacturers such as Atkinson, ERF and Foden retained their traditional images until well into the decade, but the arrival of new-look cabs, revealing luxuries which previously would have been thought impossible, was nevertheless evident.

      Revisions to the Construction and Use Regulations were, arguably, responsible for changes in vehicle design during the 1960s. The ‘new look’ began when Bedford introduced its TK range in the early years of the decade, its influence so monumental that it was only a matter of time before rival manufacturers were announcing new cab designs. Advancing technology meant the arrival of tilting cabs, twin-steer front axles, and larger, more powerful engines. In 1962, Britain remained the world’s leading exporter of commercial vehicles, but times were a-changing ...

      ‘Rangeability with reliability’ was Atkinson’s message when it introduced its models for 1962. Seen here under the ownership of Peter McCallum & Sons of Aberdeen is the 150hp Gardner 6LX engine Atkinson with its fibreglass all-vision de luxe cab, a favourite with fleets throughout Britain. (Author’s collection)

      Lorries from past eras are valued by haulage companies as ideal publicity vehicles. Many hauliers , such as Wm Halliday with his 1969 Foden, are keen classic vehicle enthusiasts who hold on to their older workhorses for posterity and enjoy showing them at commercial vehicle events. (Author’s collection)

      The outcome of amalgamating firms into large groups, a process which had begun in the fifties, materialised in the sixties when some familiar names were lost or fell foul to badge engineering. Thus, AEC, Albion, Austin, Commer, Dodge, Karrier, Leyland, Morris, Scammell and Thornycroft became merely badges owned by a few burgeoning combines.

      More than anything else, lorry design and engineering in the sixties was influenced by Britain’s, and Europe’s, growing motorway network which, as well as affording easier and faster transportation, took long distance haulage into a new era.

      Lorry owners and aficionados are a close-knit fraternity. Compiling this book has been an enjoyable, if daunting, experience, and I cannot help but feel an outsider looking in. Perhaps this adds an interesting, if curious, aspect to the following pages.

      In preparing this volume I am grateful to those people who have allowed me to photograph their vehicles, and

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