Leyland Marathon...The "Nearly" Truck of The 1970s?

gingerfold:

[zb]
anorak:

gingerfold:
Section 3 and the Appendices…
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That list is wrong, surely- the first Marathon was a ■■■■■■■ 6x4, registered on the ‘L’ (1973):
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=59422&start=150

No, the list is correct compiled from the BCVM Archive records. There has always been a big question mark against that registration number, the most plausible answer being that it was a Leyland owned number that was recycled on various Marathons. The Marathon was a 32 ton GVW design for UK markets, and there was absolutely no reason to design a 6x4 for 32 ton operation, That configuration for “normal” operation in the UK had been discounted in the 1960s, so WHY would the first Marathon have been a 6x4 when there was never going to be a big market for it? Did you not see the list of TL12 Marathons and models listed for 1973?

archive.commercialmotor.com/arti … on-is-here
The article shows WTJ with a dark band above the grille, which corresponds to its (assumed) as-new white/green livery. The picture on the TNUK link I posted shows it with a white/blue livery, which corresponds to the livery it had when Astran used it in 1974. All of the pictures show it with those odd rear-sloping wings, which are shown cut off in the Astran article, with text referring to the reason for the cutting. Given its presence in the CM launch issue photo, I do not doubt its existence.

There is clearly a crossed wire somewhere.