British Lorries 1960s Thames Trader, Seddon Diesel 12-4, Leyland Retriever, Guy Warrior

British Lorries 1960s

What is your favourite lorry of all time?

This is one of many illustrated classic lorry guides I've created for the community. I hope you enjoy it. If you wish to find out more about the classic 1960's lorry art featured in this guide please click here.

This guide features nine classic lorries from the 1960s.

Thames Trader

The Ford Thames Trader forward-control chassis was introduced in 1957 and remained in production until 1966. The large range offered payload capacities from 3 to 7 tons and short-wheelbase tractive units for hauling semi-trailers. Engines were four-cylinder petrol or diesel (3.4 and 3.6-litre) for models up to three tons. Above that weight the model used either a 4.8-litre six-cylinder petrol or a 5.4-litre six-cylinder diesel. They all used the same cab design, although there were small variations on the grille and headlamp panels.

Seddon Diesel 12-4

The firm of Foster and Seddon was formed in Salford in 1919 as motor coach distributors. Vehicle manufacture commenced in 1938 with diesel engined 6-ton vehicle. After the war limited production was resumed, with around eight to ten vehicles a week leaving the factory. New works at Oldham were acquired in 1946 and in 1951 the company became Seddon Diesel Vehicles Ltd. Seddon was the first company to employ a glassfibre for bonnets and cabs in 1954. "British Road Services" added the 12-ton gvw to their fleet. This 7.5 to payload model was powered by a choice of Leyland 370 or Perkins 6.534 6-cylinder diesel engines.

Leyland Retriever

Leyland first used the model name "Retriever" in the 1930s when it was applied to the WLW1 chassis, a cross-country six-wheeler, phased out in 1942. It was revived in 1964 for a 6x4 chassis designed primarily for tipper/mixer applications. The Leyland Retriever lorries were commonly seen displaying the Ready Mixed Concrete livery, fitted with what Leyland described as the "Vista-Vue all steel luxury cab". Elsewhere in the industry this type of cab was known as the LAD cab, it being Motor Panels production shared by Leyland, Albion and Dodge.

Guy Warrior

Guy launched their Invincible Mk2 and Warrior Mk 2 models at the 1958 Commercial Vehicle Show. More powerful than ever, they not only offered a versatile range with a choice of modern diesel engines but they featured one of the most outstanding cab designs ever to be seen on a British commercial vehicle. Angular, yet elegant, the forward leaning cab had panoramic windscreens and spacious accommodation with luxurious seating. It was sound and heat insulated and offered refinements such as an electric shaver, radio and cigarette lighter.

Foden S20

The elegantly bow-fronted S20 cab was first seen on Fodens during the mid-1950s as a natural progression of the FG range, and is without doubt one of the most memorable cabs of the postwar years. For payloads of up to 16 tons on four wheels this type of vehicle proved to be very economical and was used in all spheres of road transport. Foden four-wheelers were not as numerous as some makes, the bulk of their sales being in the rigid six, rigid eight and artic class.

ERF LV

The initials ERF stood for Edwin Richard Foden, who broke away from his family concern in 1933 and began manufacturing his own diesel lorries. Soon becoming one of the leading manufacturers, operators found that ERF produced a no "frills" range that offered ruggedness and reliability, and often remained loyal to the marque for many years. One of the most popular premium heavy duty four-wheelers of the Sixties was the ERF LV. Introduced in 1962, it was light weight and extremely economical, and was used widely in all types of haulage.

Bedford TK

In the 1960s the four-wheeler market was dominated by the mass-produced Bedford TK model. The economical middle-weight TK was seen as a sensational new cab ahead of engine design when launched in 1960. It came in a variety of weights and sizes and found favour with various operators since the model was half the price of some premium trucks, but with a low unladen weight carried just as much payload.

Atkinson L644

From 1958 the Atkinson four, six and eight-wheeled general haulage range were offered with a new fibreglass ( Mk1 ) cab with wraparound screens, although the traditional Bow Front cab continued to be produced. AEC, Cummins, Gardner and Rolls-Royce diesel engines were available and also Perkins units for the lighter models. Atkinson was bought out by Seddon in 1970, forming Seddon Atkinson in 1971.

AEC Mercury

The Leyland designed Ergomatic cab was introduced for the AEC range in 1964 and as a consequence AECs lost some of their individuality. Mechanically though they were still entirely AEC and at the time the overall specification and performance of the Mercury placed it well ahead of any of its competitors. The new tilt-cab Mercury was fitted with AEC's AV505 engine, with the AV471 engine optional and there was a choice of four wheelbase options or a tractor unit.

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

Classic UK Lorries Scammell Highwayman, Leyland Beaver, Guy Warrior, Foden S21, Foden S39

Classic UK Lorries - On The Move

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 British lorry names from the 1950s-1970s.

Scammell Highwayman

In Britain during the fifties and early Sixties the only commonly seen articulated heavy lorries were the bonneted Scammell "Artic Eights" and "Highwaymans". The Highwayman name was used from 1960 after the Scammell takeover by the Leyland Group in 1955. Scammells had always supplied the vehicle as a complete "Artic Eight" but under Leyland's direction it was eventually redesignated a 4x2 tractor unit becoming known as the Highwayman and available with a conventional fifth wheel coupling.

Leyland Beaver

The Beaver range was first produced in 1933 for 7.5 ton payloads and over the years both normal and forward-control models have been produced, but the former was dropped after the war. Built before the artic revolution and fitted with one of the last of the old style cabs, which began to disappear in the early sixties, this model had a gross weight of 24 tons. The Dyson semi-trailer had air suspension and was fitted with a large capacity fuel tank.

Guy Warrior

This was one of the last type produced by the company before Guy Motors were finally absorbed into the Leyland organisation. Rigid and tractor units were manufactured, which could be fitted with engines from AEC, Meadows, Cummins or Rolls-Royce. The Guy range of the 1950s was considered by many to offer the best-looking cab on any lorry and many famous firms had Guy Warriors in their fleets.

Foden S21

In 1958 the startling new S21 cab was introduced for the FG range. It became known as the Sputnik or Mickey Mouse cab. In addition to their stylish cabs, Fodens were always well equipped vehicles and their ranges were constantly updated during the 1950s and 1960s. Twelve-speed range-change gearboxes became common fitment and Gardner engines remained optional on all models.

Foden S39

Following their tilting S34 cab, introduced in 1962, Foden produced a succession of handsome new cabs through the 1960s and into the early 1970s, such as the fixed S36 with twin headlamps, the S39 and the S40.

ERF LV

Over the years ERF has become the leading British manufacturer; in fact by the 1990s it was the only British owned maker of heavy commercial vehicles - apart from Dennis which specialises in fire appliances, municipal vehicles and buses. The LV series was introduced in 1962 with a range from 6 to 42-tons and a wide variety of wheelbase options. Engines could be Gardner, Perkins, Rolls-Royce or Cummins.

Atkinson Black Knight

Atkinson began naming their "Knight" range in the early 1960's - Black Knight for rigid vehicles of all configuration, Silver Knight for tractor units and Gold Knight for tippers and cement mixers (or other short wheelbase use). Atkinson Vehicles Ltd were the subject of a takeover by Seddon Diesel Vehicles Ltd of Oldham in 1970 and Seddon-Atkinson was born. The last Atkinson badged vehicle was produced in 1975, the company then acquired by International Harvester of North America.

Atkinson Borderer

Atkinson epitomises the British commercial vehicle in it's heyday during the late 1930s through to the 1960s, when British-built lorries were among the finest in the world. It is little wonder that transport enthusiasts nowadays look upon them as great classics.

AEC Mammoth Major Mk5

The AEC Mk 5 range was announced at the 1958 Commercial Vehicle Show. A feature of the new range was their stylish cabs, built mostly by Park Royal Vehicles plus their powerful engines. The main power unit for the leading heavy models, the Mandator tractor and the maximum-weight Mammoth Major eight-wheeler, was the AV691 unit of 11.3-litres/689cu in capacity. Over 6,000 of all versions of the MkV were built up to the end of production in 1964.

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