Heritage Commercials
March 2016
A world of classic lorries, trucks and vans.
MARCH 2016
14 Ignition
News and events from around the classic
commercial vehicle world.
18 Readers’ letters
Here’s the place to tell a story, ask a
question or put things straight.
26 Subscription form
Get your copy of HC delivered to your
door early each month – and save
money at the same time!
28 A link to the past - part 2
Alan Barnes concludes the story of an
innovative crane hire company from
long ago.
32 4x4x4!
With four-wheel drive, four-wheel
steering and Commer TS3 power, the
Douglas DM44 had an intriguing spec,
but what was it built for?
38 Life in transport
Willie ‘Shortie’ Davidson tells the
story of a man who must have diesel
in his veins!
42 Boys in the black stuff
With many abnormal load operators
now providing their own escorts,
you don’t see police motorcycle
outriders doing this job as often as
they used to. Bob Tuck tells us about
the job they did.
48 Going Dutch
DAF lorries are rare in preservation, but
even rarer is this unusual Swiss-spec
2205 found by Laurent Dircks!
54 From our archives
This month we feature the White Road
Commander. Did you drive one?
58 Archive album
Four pages of sheer nostalgia from the
NA3T photographic archives.
62 Defiant giant
Passed over for the British Army,
Unipower’s phenomenal MH8875 has
been a massive success in service with
ALE. Ed Burrows traces this heavy-lift
tractor’s history.
68 Buoyant bubble cab
The Volvo F86 became part of the
trucking establishment in the 1970s
and was the first foreign lorry to make
significant inroads into the British market.
74 In times of crisis - part 1
Mike and Julie Blenkinsop take a
look at the vehicles employed by
the Auxiliary Fire Service and Civil
Defence, from the 1950s to the
sell-off of the final Green Goddesses
in 2005.
80 Oiling the Wheels -Part 3
Concluding the article on Denis Kay in
our Life in Transport slot, Denis explains
why he rescued and restored a 1953
Leyland Octopus.
86 One for the road
A full restoration programme looks set
to see one of St Austell Brewery’s original
1940s ERF C15 delivery drays back on
the road to celebrate her 70th birthday
in 2016.
90 Workshop
Richard Lofting demonstrates how to
keep your classic's petrol engine on song
by rebuilding your carb.
97 HC Marketplace
The place to find a new project, sell your
old motor or clear out unwanted parts
from your garage.
106 Final word
Bob Tuck digs up an unrestored
American ‘gem’ hiding away in a South
African museum
MARCH 2016
14 Ignition
News and events from around the classic
commercial vehicle world.
18 Readers’ letters
Here’s the place to tell a story, ask a
question or put things straight.
26 Subscription form
Get your copy of HC delivered to ....