(PEOPLE Ford's new boss
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NEW TOP man for Ford of Britain is Terry Beckett, who takes over as chairman and managing director from Sir William Batty in the New Year.
Sir William, 62, announced his resignation last week after 45 years with Ford. He joined the board as director of Tractor Group in 1963 and in the following year headed the Car and Truck Group. In 1972, he succeeded Sir Leonard Crossland as chairman and was knighted for services to export in the 1973 New Year's Honours List. Sir William is currently president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
In only his 26th year with Ford, Mr Beckett, 51, is noted for his triumphant involvement in the planning of the Mark 1 Cortina, which has now achieved more than 3m world sales, and the D-Series truck range.
He joined the company in 1950 and on completing a graduate training course became personal assistant to the then deputy chairman and managing director, Sir Patrick Hennessy. He was appointed a director in 1966 and became managing director and chief executive last year. At the same time, he was awarded the CBE for his services to export.
One of the grand old men of Scottish haulage, Walter Smith, has died aged 82. A director of Smith of Drumclog Ltd, Strathaven, Lanarkshire, Walter Smith ran the family haulage business for 40 years.
A Glaswegian, he emigrated to Canada, returning to Scotland in the early '20s when he formed a bus company with his brother in Darvel, Ayrshire. After another short stay in Canada, he returned to establish the local haulage contractors in Drumclog.
While south of the border, 17 hgv drivers, many of them in the heavy haulage and outsize abnormal loads fields, were presented with £50 cash prizes in Hallet Silbermann Ltd's safety awards.
Joe Moore, chairman of the RHA Metropolitan and SE area, presented the prizes and RoSPA certificates at the Spider's Web Hotel in Watford.
A repeated winner in this competition is J. Macklin with an excellent record of driving without any blameworthy accidents and for a year free of goods in transit claims.
On the transport scene Michael Holden becomes area manager (east) of the South Wales Transport Co Ltd on January 1.
Mr Holden, 27, joined the bus industry in 1966 as a trainee at Ribble Motor Services Ltd before being appointed assistant to the eastern area superintendent.