Classic & Vintage Commercials

Classic & Vintage Commercials magazine is dedicated to heavy commercial vehicles. Focusing on the truck manufacturers from the heyday of road haulage over the past eight decades. Take a trip down memory lane with Britain’s best-selling classic road-haulage magazine. From reader’s restorations and recollections to company histories and archive images, you’ll find a welcome mix of nostalgia and news and even some classic trucks for sale.

Classic & Vintage Commercials

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A MIGHTY MATADOR! • When Connor Baker bought his 1939 AEC Matador, it hadn’t run for over 20 years. Within four days he had it running, and within four weeks it was roadworthy. Now it does 7500 miles a year, and is used for business as well as pleasure. Peter Simpson tells the story…

BERNIE BAILEY 1939-2025 • If you have a News story, e-mail cvc.ed@kelsey.co.uk orwrite to The Editor, Classic and Vintage Commercials, PO Box 1243, Spalding PE11 9HE

DOWN AT NUMBER 7

THORNYCROFT SOCIETY LATEST

THAMES ET6 • In the immediate post-war era, Ford of Britain’s lorry range lagged behind most of their rivals, but the arrival of the ET6 range in 1948 changed that. Peter Davies begins a new two-part in-depth analysis.

PD’s atchioe

Letters • YOUR VIEWS, COMMENTS AND RECOLLECTIONS…

READY TO RUN RESTORATION • Early Volvo FMs are quite rare on the show circuit, but a few are now appearing. One of the best you’ll see is Andy Tilley’s restored tractor unit. Pip Dunn headed East to find a fascinating story

Carrying on

THE LOUWMAN CLASSIC CAR MUSEUM, THE HAGUE • Mike Neale takes a trip to Holland, and uncovers an interesting museum…

LEADING THE WEIGH • The owners of this brand new AEC Mercury 5TGM, W T Avery Ltd, were the world’s leading weigh scale manufacturers with a history that can be traced back to 1730. Photographed in August 1975 during its first week in service, KFK96P has the last version of the Ergomatic cab which was fitted to Mercurys from 1975 to 1977 when, sadly, British Leyland ended AEC production. As Avery was to weighing, AEC was widely regarded as a leading manufacturer in the lorry industry and many loyal customers mourned its demise. Unlike AEC, Avery is still in business but is now in American ownership and called Avery Weigh-Tronix, following a series of takeovers spanning 30-odd years.

SCRUFFY BUT SOLID! • Mike Neale tracks down a low mileage Bedford CA with an interesting back-story and a non-rattling front bumper…

ERGO CABS AT 60 • Lots of Leylands returned to their spiritual home in Lancashire to celebrate, among other things, the 60th anniversary of the Ergomatic cab. David Reed was there too…

CUMBERLAND TRUNK ROAD RUN • One day rather than two this year, but still an enjoyable and pleasantly-challenging road run. David Reed reports…

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MODEL CORNER • Pt2: After looking last month at the Dinky range of Superpoise models made when the lorry was current, we now move on to the offerings of some other makers.

THE OLD A1

FENLAND FIRE ENGINE • A brief look at the first of many civilian fire appliances made by Papworth Coachworks

TANKS A LOT! • A selection of tankers from the 1980s and early 1990s, courtesy of Carl Johnson.

ON THE MILK • Simon Elsom presents a tribute to the milk float, and the early-rising individuals who drove them…

PAPWORTH PANTECHNICONS • A brief look at an innovative pantechnicon design produced by Papworth Coachworks in the early 1960s..

EVENTS DIARY • This diary has been compiled from information supplied by event organisers, and while every effort is made to ensure that it is accurate and correct at the time of going to press, neither Kelsey Media nor Station House Publishing can accept responsibility for...