Heritage Commercials
December 2014
A world of classic lorries, trucks and vans.
DECEMBER 2014
06 Ignition
News and events from around the classic
commercial vehicle world.
10 Readers’ letters
We hand the pen over to you – so what
have you got to tell us?
18 National Treasure
An anonymous letter led John Sullivan and
Gilbert Dawson to the weathered remains
of something very special – the Prestwick
Albion, now restored. We pay them a visit.
26 Subscription form
Save money and get your copy of HC
delivered early by subscribing.
28 The end of the ‘Big A’
Alan Barnes trawls the archives to tell us the
story of the formation of Seddon Atkinson.
34 Swarm of the Sevens
Dean Reader visits a rally devoted to Austin
Seven vans and stumbles across a very
special barn find – the last one ever made.
38 The wheels that never cease
Bob Weir tells the story of the famous
Scottish concern of Callander Transport.
42 Archive album
This month we have nostalgia, but with
a hint of beer.
46 Haulage company history
In the ever-changing world of road
transport, many well-respected names have
been consigned to the history books.
Adrian Cypher tells the story of one such
company – MG Pentus Brown.
50 Memories are made of this
Peter Love visits Staffordshire to view Alan
Sale’s excellent late 1951 Fordson Thames
E83W 10cwt van.
56 Swedish steel
Ed Burrows looks back at the history of
one of the world’s top vehicle makers –
Volvo.
64 Classic collection
Jim Smith from the town of Cumnock
owns one of the finest private
collections of old fire appliances in
Scotland. Bob Weir went to Ayrshire to
pay him a visit.
70 Buy now, enjoy later
When Graham Bellman paid £1000 for
an old Volvo F10 back in 2000, people
thought he was mad. But who’s the mad
one now?
76 Ave Caesar!
This month we look at Romans in Britain.
Did you drive one?
80 A Falklands foray – part 3
John Wynn concludes his tale of working
on heavy haulage down in the Falkland
Islands in the 1980s.
86 On location
Jim King reports from the British
Commercial Vehicle Museum.
88 Odds and ends
You’d be surprised what’s in the HC
archives – well the editor was anyway!
90 Life in transport
We interview George Rimmer about his life
in transport – and find out why Bedfords
are so important to him.
94 On the trail of old road trains
Dave Bowers heads into the Australian
outback to hunt out old transport gems.
98 Workshop
Get your paintwork shining by learning
the art of etch priming.
103 HC Marketplace
The place to buy and sell anything
related to classic commercials.
114 Final word
Bob Tuck finds a major attraction on
America’s Route 66 – and it’s not a
commercial.
DECEMBER 2014
06 Ignition
News and events from around the classic
commercial vehicle world.
10 Readers’ letters
We hand the pen over to you – so what
have you got to tell us?
18 National Treasure
An anonymous letter....