Operational lifespan of 60's and 70's trucks

Tilcon had a six year replacement policy, however when they sold the fleet off I had my Foden for over ten years and then it was sold to an OD for further service. In the sixties I worked on many early post war Morris Commercials, vehicles went on until they literally rotted away! When I worked for a Bedford dealer in 1974 we had a customer who ran an O Type that he bought new in 1949, every year we went to his yard with our breakdown and lifted the front end onto a chain stretched between two trees where he then cleaned it underneath with paraffin and a brush for its annual test.

Pete.