Classic & Vintage Commercials

How do you define a proper restoration? Some believe that the only real way to restore a vehicle is to take it back to its original specification in every respect; original chassis layout, original body-style and the livery of the first owner/operator. Others, however, take a slightly different view and will be happy to see a vehicle in one of its later liveries/guises. This is often more appropriate if a vehicle has had a major modification, such as added or deleted axles, changed body style and so on. However, many people, including the owners of some of the largest and bestknown collections in the country, choose instead to present a completed restoration in their own fleet or house livery of the period. In other words, as a recreation of a…

www.cvcmag.co.uk CLASSIC & VINTAGE COMMERCIALS Kelsey Media 5 Yalding Hill Downs Court Yalding ME18 6AL Tel: 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Peter Simpson, Station House Publishing Ltd Editorial Postal Address: Classic & Vintage Commercials, PO Box 1243, SPALDING, PE11 9HE. Email cvc.ed@kelsey.co.uk Technical consultant: Peter Davies Editorial Assistant: Katie Simpson Editorial Admin Manager: Sarah Lott ART: ATG Media ADVERTISEMENT SALES Russell Bedford – 01732 445328 Russell.bedford@talkmediasales.co.uk Production Supervisor: Elsa Deakin Talk Media Sales Production Assistant www.talkmediasales.co.uk DL: 01732 447534 ML: 01732 445325 MANAGEMENT Managing Director: Kevin McCormick Publisher: Gareth Beesley Retail Director: Steve Brown Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton Brand Marketing Manager: Kate Chamberlain Head of Events: Kat Chappell Print Production Manager: Kelly Orriss Subscription Marketing Manager – Debra Hagger Subscription Marketing Executive – Bronwyn Southren SUBSCRIPTIONS 12 issues of Classic…

Over the years, CVC has covered a fair few long-term restorations carried out in less than ideal conditions, and been impressed by the determination, tenacity and innovation shown by many enthusiasts. However, Neil Cook’s restoration of his 1965 Atkinson Silver Knight tractor unit is one of the most ambitious, and most longterm, that we’ve seen. This one took 18 – yes eighteen – years to complete. What’s more the dismantled lorry had to be moved no fewer than seven times during restoration. Now aged 66, Neil has been involved with the lorry and transport industry for over 50 years; “I’m retired now, but I still work 4½ days a week.” On leaving school aged 15, he took an apprenticeship with A E Ingrem – he still describes Gerald Ingrem as…

Tom Karen, who has been described as “the man who designed the 1970s” and who was responsible for the Leyland T45 and Seddon Atkinson 200-400 cabs, and the redesign of the LDV 200 and 400 into Pilot and Convoy form, passed away on December 31 2022, aged 96. Away rom commercial vehicles, Tom designed many other icons, including the Reliant Scimitar, Reliant Robin, Bond Bug and, perhaps most familiar of all, the Raleigh Chopper bicycle. He also styled radios, white goods and Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder for the Star Wars films. Tom was born in Vienna, to a Jewish father and catholic mother. The family were able to escape Nazi persecution, and arrived in London in 1942. After the war, Tom studied aeronautical engineering at Loughborough College. He joined the Ford…

This year’s Spring Tractor World and Classic Commercial show – the event which many Midlands, South West and Welsh border enthusiasts see as the start of the show season – takes place over the weekend of March 11-12. Though the date is slightly different, the venue is the same – the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs WR13 6NW. Though some commercials attend both days, the main commercial vehicle attendance is on the Sunday, and for Sunday-only attendance, commercial vehicles don’t need to book; just turn up on the day before 9.30am –a cut-off needed for health and safety reasons – and you’ll get in – free! For trade bookings and both-day commercial vehicle attendance go to www.tractorworldshow.co.uk – though trade bookings need to be made before February 19. Advance tickets…

Back in our July 2021 issue, we reported on the rare Morris LD SWB pantechnicon that East Sussex removal specialist Mark Radcliffe discovered in a Dorset scrapyard and was restoring. Since then, progress has been ongoing, and two additional classic vehicles have joined the fleet – a classic collection is coming together. Anyway, at that time the history of the 1963 Morris was something of a mystery, other than that it carried the faded livery of a Ringwood house furnisher, upholsterer and carpet specialist. However, after the van appeared in the magazine, we had a letter from Keith who lived just four miles from where the van was discovered and knew all about it. That was because he had bought it from the Ringwood firm in 1973, and gone on to…