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THE CHOIC IS YOURS
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With our top 20 greatest ever commercials nominated, now it's your chance to vote for your
favourite truck of all time. Colin Barnett reports.
BEDFORD TK At its launch, CM described the TK as At last, a driver's lorry." Cheap, but strong and durable, the TK was a revolution in its day, and half a million buyers voted with their cheque books. Only the lack of tilt cab and decent headroom counted against it.
2 LAND ROVER Solihull's workhorse was born out of necessity, but literally changed the world for many. Forced to use aluminium panels thanks to the post-war steel shortage, 'the world's most versatile vehicle" eventually filled every niche from tractor to limousine. SCANIA LB76 The parent of today's modern truck? The 1963 Scan la certainly boasted features we take for granted today. Effectively the vanguard for the second Viking invasion, the LB76 brought such novelties as power steering, synchromesh and suspension seats. 4 FORD MODEL T So what if it was technically backward? Ford's Fliwer pensioned off more horses than anything else. Despite only two gears "too low and too high" and weird controls to today's drivers, the Model T was as eccentric as it became commonplace.
5 FORD TRANSCONTINENTAL Was the big Ford's biggest fault being too far ahead of its time? Built from an industry parts book, the Transcontinental was intended to meet legislative changes that never arrived during its lifetime. 6 SCAMMELL 100-TONNER Only two were built, but each one did the work of four traction engines. Hauling 100 tons in 1929 was akin to putting men on Mars and at 220,000 athrow, cost nearly as much.
SENTINEL S4 It may have been steam powered, but it was still state of the art. Many of the Sentinel's qualities high performance, good economy and low emissions -were exactly those demanded by today's operators.
8 SCAM MELL CRUSADER Could it happen today? No chance! The Crusader was originally devised to meet the needs of a single operator, albeit the then dominant British Road Services. However, it soon SCANIA R-SERIES A one-year-old truck a contender in the greatest trucks of the century? Controversial, maybe, but CM's editor reckons ScaniaS latest is the benchmark for today's trucks a future classic. 10 VOLVO F88 In its day, the big Volvo was every driver's dream truck. The combination of space and pace made it ideal for a quick jaunt to the Middle East, but just as many found work with discerning operators on the domestic front.
1 1 LEYLAND BEAVER Two-pedal transmissions are all the rage today, but there's nothing new under the sun. Back in the late 1960s, Leyland sold the grand-daddy of today's crop. Its biggest fault was being ahead of its time. FODEN TWIN LOAD This unique design concept. which took advantage of newly introduced 32-tonne GVW regulations, had a rigid eight-wheel chassis with a fifth wheel coupling fixed at the extreme rear of the chassis, to which a single axle semitrailer was attached. But while it had many unique features, it failed to entice many customers, only reaching double figures in sales as the standard artic's greater flexibility won the day.
MORRIS MINOR Even though production ceased in 1971, the Morris Minor still ranks high in the popularity stakes today. Introduced in 1953, the quarter tonne vans and pick-ups soon became popular, with total production reaching 326,868 worldwide.
Morris Minors were sought after as fleet vehicles, particularly for the Post Office and as telephone engineers' vans, and played a vital role in the commercial life of Britain for many decades.
GUY BIG J Unveiled in 1964, the Big J4T featured a Gardner 180
engine, six-speed gearbox and hub-reduction back end, but the most surprising feature was its manufac turer -Jaguar. Designed by Cliff Elliot, the cab was a key feature; spacious, with deep doors, tilting steering wheel and plenty of driver comfort. It was a great drive too, with
an efficient engine and good reliability. 1110" MACK AC BULLDOG
The Mack AC could fairly be said to have helped create Europe's haulage industry. The Great War saw more than 6,000 Mack ACs arrive in Europe, 2,000 of them for the British Army—extraordinary numbers for the time. The truck had a distinctive "coal scuttle" bonnet with radiator mounted behind the four-cylinder engine.
DIAMOND TM20
The Chicago-built Diamond TS introduction in 1942 meant the British Army could finally transport its new, heavier tanks such as the 40tonne Churchill. The prototype ballasted tractor unit was delivered to the Army in 1941, its 14.5-litre Hercules engine producing 180hp. It was also better to drive than many other similar vehicles, and was still used into the late 1970s for heavy recovery.
17 FORD TRANSIT It takes a certain something for a product to become a gene no term* but the Transit must have it. When it first appeared it immediately made its competitors from BMC and Rootes look ancient. Although today's Transit doesn't represent the huge advance over the opposition that it did 40 years ago, it still dominates the sales charts 18 AEC MAMMOTH MAJOR MK III
With just 125hp from its innovative directinjection engine and running at up to 22 tons, the Mammoth Major eight-legger could almost double the speed limit of its day. Just as well it had advanced full-air braking. Gaffers loved its economy and reliability, while drivers were more impressed by the easy ride.
TOYOTA HILUX
Its become a cliché that in its 27 years, the Hilux has appealed to operators from Taliban guerillas to Tunbridge Wells tree surgeons. The truck that even Jeremy Clarkson couldn't destroy has already sold 12 million and the next generation is about to arrive.
COMMER TS3
Uniquely in our contest. this nomination is for an engine rather than a specific vehicle. Although it required different techniques from driver and mechanics, the ingenious TS3 two-stroke had three cylinders but two crankshafts and six pistons. It was loved by all who appreciated its generous power but moderate thirst.