A personal favourite Volvo holds a special place in Matthew
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Kibble's heart CM finds out why By Christopher Walton LANCASHIRE HAULIER Matthew Kibble (pictured) is a self-confessed Volvo fanatic. His eponymous transport firm might run vehicles made by other manufacturers, but it is the Swedish manufacturer that has a special place in his heart — which is why he had to be the first to buy the new FH in England. "I wanted to have the first FH in the UK. However, I believe Alexander Anderson [of Bo'ness,West Lothian] has the first; but he is in Scotland, so I got the first in England," Kibble told CM "It was registered on 20 March. I just wanted the new model, it is a 'once in every 20 years' event. I wasn't in business 20 years ago, and I might not be 20 years from now!"
A nice drive Kibble has already driven his new FH, if only from the haulier's headquarters in Nelson, Lancs, to Liverpool, before putting it in the hands of one of his drivers. When asked what he thought of it, he said: "It is nice to drive," he said. "It has I-Shift, the best automatic box you can get, but I prefer manuals."
The main issue so far is getting to grips with a much-changed interior from the old FH. By the time you read this, Kibble and his driver would have undergone training to ensure the layout becomes much more intuitive. "It is so different to the older FH," he said. "We need training Beyond the love of the vehicle, what made Kibble go for the new FH? "Fuel economy isn't top of my list and price isn't everything: Volvo is a good all-round truck.We do a run from Nelson to South Kirby and we get 5.6mpg on the back roads and 8.5mpg on the motorway. But the motorway route is 40 miles longer each way, so it means more fuel. Fuel economy isn't the only measure."
Matthew Kibble Transport is home to a family of Volvos — a 1968 Volvo F88, the first imported into the UK; a Volvo F10 bought in 2009 and restored in 2011; a 13-year-old 'old' FH; and the aforementioned new model.
"I have liked Volvos since I started driving and I got the classic FH," he said. "I like the driving position and the durability. It is a premium product at the right price for what I want to spend."
His pride and joy is his 13-year-old W13 MJK FH. It is still used daily and, according to Kibble, doesn't cost him a lot of money — despite a recent £5,000 upgrade for the engine.
"We have done it up to look the part, but it has a million and a half kilometres on the clock," he said. "It was my first and has done really well for me. I keep trying to retire it, but it is still going. I would never sell it — there is no price you could put on buying my first FH off me." Volvo appreciation Joe Roddy, UK and Ireland dealer support manager at Volvo, appreciates the support: "Matt has been a loyal Volvo and Thomas Hardie customer for more than 15 years and has a collection of the vintage Volvos.
"Once he knew that the new model was coming, he was on the phone straight away before we even knew what it was going to look like or how much it would cost. Saying that, Matt being Matt, there were still negotiations to be done.
"Once he had placed the order, he was on the phone weekly for updates. We're delighted that Matt has got the first one in England, as he has a great public image and always runs his vehicles to the highest of standards. The new FH looks impressive in his livery; we like what he has done and the way he has used the lines of the cab.
"I am sure he will have many happy miles of motoring in it," Roddy said. •