Liverpool Hauliers in the 1960s

Ray Smyth:
Unusual Ford Thames 6 wheeler of W.Scott & Sons of Aintree, Liverpool.
I cant make out the signwriting on the cab door, stating what type of
“Manufacturers” they were, soft drinks perhaps ?. Also, what weight would
it carry, seeing that it has 6 stud wheels ? Picture from Bootle Forum.
Ray Smyth.

This belonged to the late Roy Scott, whose family ran Scott’s Cup Drinks in Aintree. Roy rescued the ET6 from beside the A55 in North Wales and set about rebuilding it from what should’ve been swept up in several bin liners. When it was finished, Roy went to rallies and road-runs all over the north of England - some were attended loaded with the firms products on the way to deliveries.

Roy was one of the founders of the Long Haul Club and drafted an article for the club magazine, which I put together and printed for the members. It detailed the restoration process and the fun he had when he got it MOTed for the first time when it was finished. Sadly for Roy, plating & testing had come about in the interim period between it originally being a working vehicle and when he got it back together and roadworthy again. Because of the new regulations, Roy got a shock when the payload restrictions made it almost unviable as a working wagon. Despite this, Roy did indeed put it to work alongside the firm’s Leylands and he would take it out himself, delivering to local cash & carry customers. The picture appears to show six pallets of product on the back, but his absolute limit was seven - which amounted to a little over six tons. As a headturner of a delivery motor, it apparently helped business. The firm did eventually run into financial difficulties, due to a decline in popularity of cup drinks. It was a family-run & owned operation, and there simply wasn’t the money in the business to diversify into new product lines, so instead of dodging debts Roy sold the Thames to help pay creditors. He always regretted losing the wagon, but said he’d rather do the decent thing than see people lose money. Roy was a proper gent, and is missed by many.