Leyland Buffalo
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Among the torture trucks from the 70s, and surely built for Desperate Dan was the Leyland Buffalo: a utilitarian steel box with the aerodynamics of a tower block and tinnitus-inducing noise levels. Mechanics despised the disastrous fixed-head 500 engine, routinely failing. The colossal clutch pedal pressure required aerobic effort and the beast wanted notice in writing to engage a starting gear.
Progress through the spiteful gearbox was a black art, discouraging ‘unnecessary’ shifts. Under way, the rudimentary driver’s seat was of no matter as your buttocks spent little time on it. The weighty steering, a constant battle of wills, conspired to form an unpleasant cocktail with the spine-jarring ride and vicious brakes. This punishment wagon was still on sale in 1978 when Volvo pensioned off their F86. One of the coach bolts in Leyland’s coffin surely has a Buffalo embossed on it. A sought-after ‘classic’. Ian Norwell (former driver and freelance journalist)