Road Haulage AEC Mammoth Major Mk3, Major Mk5, Atkinson L1786, ERF KV

Road Haulage

What is your favourite lorry of all time?

This is one of many illustrated classic British lorry guides I've created for the community. I hope you enjoy it. If you wish to find out more about the classic British lorry art featured in this guide please click here.

This guide features several classic lorries from the 1950s and 1960s.

AEC Mammoth Major Mk3

The Mk 3 Mammoth Major was a hugely popular eight-wheeler from the late 1940s through to the 1950s. It was renowned for its powerful air-assisted brakes operating on the front, third and fourth axles. The Mark 3 was normally powered by AEC's tried and tested 9.6-litre six-cylinder diesel, but after 1949 the larger 11.3-litre engine was sometimes specified, particularly for drawbar use, and at 150bhp made this one of the most powerful eight-wheelers of its day.

AEC Mammoth Major Mk5

In 1958 the Mk III range was replaced by the Mk 5 (there was no Mk4 except on the bus models) which was a completely new design. The MkV had a very stylish cab built mainly by Park Royal Vehicles. AEC built only the chassis with front panels so that customers could specify their own choice of cab. In 1962 AEC was taken over by its arch-rival, Leyland Motors Ltd. Very soon a new range was launched featuring a common style of Leyland Group cab, the Ergomatic.

Atkinson L1786

Although engaged in the motor business for many years it was not until 1933-34 that Atkinson really began to manufacture vehicles on any significant scale. At first a 6-ton four-wheeler was produced but this was quickly followed by six and eight-wheelers which appeared in 1937. Using Gardner diesel engines and the same cab for all models, they soon became a familiar sight on British roads. The 1956 L1786 17-tonner represented the archetypal British eight-wheeler of the 50s.

ERF KV

Edwin Richard Foden was the youngest son of Edwin Foden who founded the famous Foden steam wagon whose history dates back to 1856. In 1933 ER, as he was called, broke away from the family Foden concern and started building diesel-powered lorries, using proprietary units such as Jennings cabs and Gardner engines. ERFS KV models were introduced in 1954, featuring a striking new style cab with an oval grille and panoramic windscreen. It was common on all the KV models and lasted until 1961 when another new cab was introduced.

Foden FG

In the 1950s was at the forefront of heavy lorry manufacture. The products of the period were distinguished by the postwar redesigned cab and radiator grille. Large numbers of this type were sold for all classes of heavy work. One of the classics was the 1954 FG 6/15 8-wheel tanker, in the livery of Tate & Lye Sugar Refiners. The tank body was of double-skinned, insulated construction on a hardwood frame. To load the tank it was first tipped to 45 degrees and was then filled through the central filler.

Foden DG

The classic early rigid eight-wheeler is epitomised by the DG6/15. The Foden DG was introduced in 1947 and quickly established Fodens as a builder of quality diesel-engined commercial vehicles. Available in four, six and eight-wheeled form, with Gardner three- four, five and six-cylinder LW engines as options, it remained in production until 1947/48, when it was replaced by the FG range. As late as the mid-sixties the Foden DG could be seen with its terrifying load of timber along Britain's roads before the compulsory vehicle plating in 1968 removed most of the older breed of lorry to the scrap heap.

Leyland Power Plus Octopus

The classic Leyland Octopus was updated in 1960 with the introduction of a Motor Panels L.A.D. steel cab which although cramped inside certainly looked impressive. New Leyland engines were available in the form of the Power Plus diesels which boosted performance. These were rated at 140bhp for 0.600 and 200bhp for the 0.680 unit.

Maudslay Maharajah

The Maudslay Motor Co was formed in 1903, originally producing cars and light vans. A range of heavy goods vehicles was produced from 1921 and in 1939 a revised range was announced, although production did not begin until after 1945. In 1948 Maudslay was taken over by AEC, who discontinued the range and used the Maudslay plant to continue to build AECs under the Maudslay badge. One interesting feature of Maudslay lorries of this period was their model names, such as Maharajah for the six-wheeler and Meritor for the eight-wheeler. The last Maudslay-badged vehicle left the factory in late 1959.

Scammell Highwayman

In "pre-artic" Britain of the 1950s and early 1960s the only commonly seen articulated lorries were the bonnetted Scammell "Artic Eights" and "Highwaymans". The name Highwayman was used from 1960 following Scammell's entry into the Leyland Group in 1955. Scammells had always marketed the vehicle as a complete "Artic Eight" but under Leyland's influence it was eventually redesignated a 4x2 tractor unit becoming known as the Highwayman and available with a conventional fifth wheel coupling.

Thank you for reading my guide and I hope you found it interesting!

British Lorries 1950s AEC Mercury, Albion Claymore, Bedford S-type, Dennis Pax

British Lorries 1950s

What is your favourite lorry of all time?

This is one of many illustrated classic British lorry guides I've created for the community. I hope you enjoy it. If you wish to find out more about the classic 1950's British lorry art featured in this guide please click here.

This guide features several classic British lorries of the 1950s.

AEC Mercury

Introduced in 1953, the low-weight AEC Mercury, produced at Maudslay, near Alcester, brought a new style to AECs with its flush mounted headlamps and wide dummy radiator grille. Park Royal Vehicles built most of the cabs but there were numerous others from proprietary bodybuilders such as Duramin, Holmes and Bowyer Bros. At 12 tons gvw the Mercury was a full 8-tonner. It was powered by the new AV410 98bhp diesel although for customers wanting a larger engine, the 125bhp AV 470 was an option.

Albion Claymore

Underfloor engines were being considered by several manufacturers in the fifties including Sentinel, Albion, Commer, Atkinson and Rowe-Hillmaster. Among the best remembered was Albion's underfloor-engined Claymore, launched in 1954 and aimed at operators requiring a three-seater cab such as in brewery and furniture removal fleets. It was powered by a horizontal version of Albion's 4.1-litre 4-cylinder diesel and had payload ratings of 4 or 5-tons.The Albion name disappeared in 1972, being replaced by Leyland.

Bedford S-type

Bedford's first civilian forward-control truck was the 7-ton S-type or "Big-Bedford" as it was christened by the marketing men. A completely new design concept for General Motors, its style was clearly influenced by the parent company's GMC trucks of the period. Originally fitted with a 110bhp 6-cylinder petrol engine a diesel option in the form of the Perkins R6 arrived in 1953 and in 1958, Bedford's own diesel. The S-type was discontinued in late 1959.

Dennis Pax

In the period that followed WW2, one vehicle that typified the local delivery brewers dray was undoubtedly the Dennis Pax. Available originally with the makers own petrol engine, a diesel engine option was offered later. With a wheelbase of 3.5m and a set-back front axle, the Pax was a plain vehicle built to the highest standards. It had no pretensions about following the styling trends of the post-war years. Whitbread were confirmed users of the products of the Guildford based manufacturer.

ERF KV

Edwin R Foden broke away from his family Foden concern and started to make his own diesel powered lorries in 1933 using proprietary units such as Jennings cabs and Gardner engines. A classic ERF model of the 1950s, with arguably the most striking cab design of the period, was the KV ( Kleer-Vue ) introduced in 1954. Its distinctive oval radiator grille was quite different from anything offered by other manufacturers and was viewed as very modern at the time.

Foden FE

The well-known Robsons Border Transport fleet utilised the Foden FE 4-weel platform dating from 1954. Robsons of Carlisle were operating a diversified fleet in excess of three-hundred vehicles at the end of the fifties, generally favouring Foden. Their fleet was perhaps so memorable since every truck had its own name beginning with Border, an unashamed reference that Carlisle and the Border country of England and Scotland is where the Robsons company was born and flourished.

Guy Vixen (Pickfords)

The dark blue Guy Vixen pantechnicons of Pickfords Removals were a familiar sight in all parts of Britain during the fifties. Essentially a pre-war design, the Guy Vixen used a four-cylinder 3.7-litre petrol engine which developed 58bhp. This unit was replaced in 1955 by the Perkins P4, giving a welcome increase in power. Guy Motors were taken over by Jaguar in 1961, which in turn was taken over by Leyland in 1968. Production of the Vixen model ceased in 1964. Production of all Guy vehicles finally ceased in 1979.

Karrier Bantam

Karrier Motors Limited were established in 1908 as Clayton and Co ( Huddersfield ) Ltd and moved to Luton in 1934 after being acquired by the Rootes Group. Under Rootes ownership, the Karrier marque became particularly associated with municipal and urban delivery vehicles and the Bantam range, introduced in 1936, quickly became established in this field. The range was updated in 1948 and equipped with an all-steel cab similar to that fitted to the forward-control Commer lorries.

Leyland Comet

Designed and produced at a time when the country was desperate for exports in the aftermath of the war, the Leyland Comet was launched in 1948. First in the range was the normal-control Comet 75 fitted with a 305 cu in (5-litre) diesel engine. When the 0.351 engine became standard in 1952 it created the Comet 90. A forward-control version was available from 1953 and was fitted with the later "600" series steel cab, with alternative steel cabs from proprietary bodybuilders.

Thank you for reading my guide and I hope you found it interesting!

British Lorries 1950s 1960s Foden FG/FE, Atkinson L1586 Bow-Front, ERF KV, Leyland Octopus, Scammell Routeman 1

What is your favourite lorry of all time?

This is one of many illustrated classic British lorry guides I've created for the community. I hope you enjoy it. If you wish to find out more about the classic British lorry art featured in this guide please click here.

This guide features nine classic "eight-wheelers" from the great names of the British lorry / truck industry during the heyday.

Foden FG/FE

Foden's long history goes back to 1856 but, until the 1930s, production was mainly confined to steam powered vehicles. In 1931 the company turned its attentions to diesel-powered lorries using the Gardner engine, but later using several different makes of diesel engine. The first purpose built Foden rigid eight was the DG model of 1935. In 1948 Foden introduced the FG/FE range, featuring the stylish S18 cab with a concealed radiator. The classic FG / FE models helped establish Foden as one of the leading manufacturers of eight wheelers during the 1950s.

Atkinson L1586 "Bow-Front"

An early manufacturer of steam lorries, Atkinson failed to survive the economic depression of the late 1920s. The company re-formed in 1933 with production concentrating on diesel lorries and entered the eight wheeler market in 1937 with the L1586, a handsome "assembled" lorry using Gardner, David Brown and Kirkstall running units. An improved model L1586, popularly referred to as the "Bow-Front" was introduced in 1952. It became a classic of the Fifties.

ERF KV

Edwin R Foden broke away from the family Foden concern and started making his own diesel powered lorries in 1933 using some proprietary units such as Jennings cabs and Gardner engines. Growing rapidly to become a leading manufacturer of heavy vehicles, their fist eight wheeler was the C16.8 followed in 1947 by the 6.8, a completely new design with a Jennings V-fronted cab. In 1954 the ultra moden KV range was released with its oval grille and wrap-around windscreen. It became a fifties classic.

Leyland Octopus

In 1935 Leyland Motors added a second steering axle to a Hippo six wheeler and the Octopus was born. It went on to become one of the most famous of all eight wheelers. The first new post-war eight wheeler from Leyland was the 22.0/1, powered by the 9.8-litre 0.600 oil engine. The pre-war Leyland eight wheeler, designated TEW, was replaced after the war by the new 22.0/1 and 22.0/3 (SWB) with modernised cab and completely redesigned chassis. During the mod-1950s a redesigned cab (56/A) was introduced and the increase in the UK legal weight brought the 24.0/4 and 24.0/5 models. The LAD "Power Plus" range appeared in 1960.

Scammell Routeman 1

At the 1960 Earls Court Show a new eight wheeler was displayed on the Scammell stand, the Routeman MkI. This had a grp cab with wraparound windscreen, shared with the handyman tractive unit. Engines were either Gardner or Leyland, and most were supplied with 8x2 drive, though there were a few 8x4s and some 6x2s, as Scammell had no other rigid chassis at the time. Less than 100 Routeman Is were built between 1959 and 1962 before the introduction of the Michelotti-cabbed Routeman II.

Guy Warrior Light Eight

Guy Motors Limited had mainly produced four and six wheel lorries up until 1954 when they launched their Invincible range based on the AEC Mammoth Major Mk 3. By 1958 the company were offering the Invincible MkII, using their own chassis with Kirkstall axles and an ultra modern new cab with large wraparound windscreen. The following year a lightweight model was added to the range, powered by an AEC AVU470 engine and called the Warrior Light Eight, it was popular with operators seeking maximum payload capacity. Guy Motors became part of Jaguar Cars in 1961 and in 1964 introduced a new eight-wheeled model, the Big J8.

Seddon 24-8-6LX

Seddon Motors of Oldham were late-comers to the eight-wheeled market, surprising the industry with their DD8 and SD8 models in 1958. With a choice of Gardner or Cummins diesel engines, the model was available in long (17ft 9in) or short (14ft 6in) wheelbase form. Within four years of their launch the SD8/DD8s were replaced by re-engineered 24-8-6LX and 24-DD8-6LX models. These featured a restyled cab, now with four headlamps and a new design of fully-articulating two-spring rear bogie.

Scammell Routeman II

In August 1962, the Routeman Mk1 was replaced by the Routeman Mk2 with its distinctive cab designed by Michelotti. This new cab was very striking, although it was non tilting, the Leyland group not having a tilting cab until the introduction of the Ergomatic in 1965. Engines for the Routeman Mk2 were Leyland 0.600 or 0.680, or Gardner 6LW or 6LX. The Routeman models were widely used as tankers, both for fuel and industrial liquids. In 1968 a double drive Routeman III was introduced using Albion Reiver hub reduction axles.

Foden S34/36

Foden were the first British manufacturer to offer tilt cabs on heavy lorries in 1962, with the introduction of the S24, identifiable by its oblong headlamps, single piece windscreen and the absence of a removable front grille. For 1967, a revised version of the S24 was introduced known as the S34 (tilting cab) or S36 (fixed cab). Both had slant mounted headlamps and a slightly deeper windscreen than the original S24 model. The Albion Sugar Company of Woolwich were well known users of Fodens during the 1960s.

Thank you for reading my guide and I hope you found it interesting!