• Class one is the most difficult commercial vehicle category
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to design effective liveries for. Vans and small trucks do not give designers much room in which to manoeuvre, and it is hard to give them a distinct, strong identity of their own.
The BBC's new grey livery did not work well on a Ford Transit van, said the judges. John Morris felt that the broadcasters had tried to be "subtle and elegant, but somehow they haven't quite made it". Brian Hatton thought the design "weak".
Cannon Paints was singled out as one of our "museum of horrors" exhibits. "Oh my God, its just awful," said Carolyn Bottomley, and John Morris dubbed it "colourless and cluttered". Brian Hatton thought that the mish-mash design looked so cheap that "all it lacks is a freepost sign".
Express parcels carrier City Link, on the other hand, won praise for its striking yellow and green livery, which the corn pany has successfully carried through from its motorcycles to box vans. "This would stand out,' said Hatton, agreeing with Morris that other road users and pedestrians would definitely see the vehicles coming. "That has got to be encouraged in a motorbike livery," said Hatton.
Countryside Truck Rental was a winner from the first glimpse the judges caught of its clean, simple, coherent design. "OK, it's just a simple white background," said Hatton, "but it looks really good because the ratio of lettering to space is precisely right."
Crane Fruehauf s parts delivery livery was too busy and the judges did not like the fact that the company name seemed to be crammed into every available space. Eason went to the other extreme with its minimalist livery. "The best we could say for it is that it is straight to the point," said Hatton. "Yes, but isn't it a pity we don't know who they are or what they do," said Bottomley.