FODEN MEMORIES
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Re "Foden Farewell to Sandbach" (CM16-22 Sept), the announcement was a sad story for me. My father started as a steam fitter apprentice in June 1914 and remained with the company for 56 years. I spent over 20 years at Sandbach.
The company, formed in 1856, will be 144 years old in March 2000, and I think there is a good story to tell about about the tremendous changes during that period.
Many of the characters who had a hand in the company's achievements are still alive: David Foden, joint MD; Patrick Twemlow, joint MD; Bill Foden, chairman and joint MD; Jack Mills, chief engineer and director; Harold Nancollis, chief draughtsman; and Neal Bedford, production director.
Jack Mills gave the industry many firsts, such as the production tilt cab, the Lowline crane, the rear-engined bus. the high-powered, high-revving two-stroke diesel, etc.
Neal Bedford introduced the UK's first overhead conveyor production line. Harold Nancollis wrote the last Foden history about two years ago.
I know CM published a photograph of the first Foden off the production line in Paccar ownership—the last could be a part of this story.
In the 1960s there was a great fear of Leyland. A part of the family sold 26% to Leyland but a long friendship between the Foden family and Sir Edwin Spurrier, whose family founded Leyland, meant no further shares were bought. So it's ironic the last phase of Foden Truck production will be at Leyland.
BIll Johnson, Olney, Bucks.
ni CM will be charting the fortunes of these classic marques as part of a 20-page history of the industry in our millennium issue (6M23 Dec 1999-12 Jan 2000). But the Foden story might well merit a feature in its own right; what do ether readers think?-Fa.