Do you lament the loss of the British lorry builders such as Leyland, Sed Atki, Foden, ERF etc or do you think good riddance to bad rubbish?
In a word no. I drove leylands, erfs, seddons and to be honest they were crap - then i got a volvo f86 and thought the angels loved me.
Not a chance. Started on a tk progressed to a tm had a juggle with a big j before driving a 2300. Recently had a Volvo I shift - now that’s progression
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Lorry drivers miss 'em. 
If they could have kept up with the pace of the others then we’d still have some good makers left I’m sure (More than likely Leyland and Foden).
I’d be proud to drive a British built lorry, Nearest we really get now is a Lancashire assembled DAF.
I loved my E10 if they had made the cab as well as the ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ drive line it would have been a world beater- the UK industry lost out becuase at the time of a driver shortage they concerntrated on the drive line and forgot the driver -Its a strange quirk of fate if they were still going today with the same attitude they would probably be making a fortune
It’s a class thing.
ERF and Foden were owned by wealthy companies who didn’t give a monkey’s about the working class person their product was aimed at.
Volvo and Scania are Swedish, and Swedes don’t have this fixation with “class”. They understood that the bloke who worked in that truck all week deserved a decent deal, and that’s why they are successful and ERF and Foden have gone.
And good riddance to them.
I’ve been told when Atkinson designed the Borderer, they forgot to include the driver in the design brief.
Drove an EC11 for a couple of days, a lovely motor but I’ve never heard a good word for the ECS.
One thing’s for sure; The Brits could build a lightweight tipper.
i quite miss my foden. 
345 Cat made a lovely noise and the exhaust brake set off car alarms and frightened schoolkids. 
Yes we should miss them but as usual politics and the EU took over. If Brit vehicle manufacturers had had the same support from their governments as the Europeans, our world renowned technology and manufacturing skills would have seen us still leading the world in truck design and manufacture to this day.
Oh if I’m not mistaken, didn’t Scania inherit much of Leyland technology and design innovation’s as Leyland were being run down■■?
I think it is a great shame that ERF are no more, even the sudden accident strato was on the right lines.
I drive a fairly new XL globetrotter with i-shift but I’d swap it tomorrow if I could for an ERF EC14 Olympic with a eaton twin splitter…now that’s a lorry.
Much as I love Fodens, my 1998 4000 series really should’ve had doors that closed properly without me fitting draft excluders.
sammy:
I drive a fairly new XL globetrotter with i-shift but I’d swap it tomorrow if I could for an ERF EC14 Olympic with a eaton twin splitter…now that’s a lorry.
No, what you mean is that you would swap the age you are today for the age you were 20 years ago.
the motor in my avatar is one my dad drove from brand new a GUY BIGJ4 with a 8 pot 240 gardner that motor done 74mph on the flat although some on here believe such a motor even existed but that argument has a thread all of its own.
british motors were great 40 odd years ago but the europeans improved the product with investment and became reliable something that is vital to the road haulage industry.
ND888 BIGJ:
the motor in my avatar is one my dad drove from brand new a GUY BIGJ4 with a 8 pot 240 gardner that motor done 74mph on the flat although some on here believe such a motor even existed but that argument has a thread all of its own.british motors were great 40 odd years ago but the europeans improved the product with investment and became reliable something that is vital to the road haulage industry.
Ther is an article about Smiths of Maddiston in todays Commercial Motor.
cheers renagade will rush out and get a copy for the old man and deliver poste haste lol
Harry Monk:
It’s a class thing.ERF and Foden were owned by wealthy companies who didn’t give a monkey’s about the working class person their product was aimed at.
Volvo and Scania are Swedish, and Swedes don’t have this fixation with “class”. They understood that the bloke who worked in that truck all week deserved a decent deal, and that’s why they are successful and ERF and Foden have gone.
And good riddance to them.
Based on my early career in coaches I’d make you about right on that. I endured the end of the Leyland, Ford, and Bedford era and am glad those days are gone. The first (early MK1) B10m I got in was a revelation, I guess I’ve been a “volvo man” ever since. Sadly the British built Duple bodywork leaked like a collander and bits of it seemed to fall off every time I washed it.
Solly:
Yes we should miss them but as usual politics and the EU took over.
Bzzzt wrong. The EU has nothing to do with it at all. The heavy vehicle industry went the same way as the airliner industry, motorcycle industry, car industry, and pretty much every other industry. They simply didn’t build products to compete with foriegn competition. If ERF etc had bought Volvo and Scania units, taken them apart, found out what made them so good, and resolved to do better for a keener price they’d still be going today. That’s how the Japanese dismantled our motorcycle industry from the early 60s onward.
The workforce, management, and unions of these “great British” firms let the Germans and Swedes take the HGV/PSV industry. Complacency, lack of innovation, and unions that could ■■■■■■■ production at the click of a finger while our European cousins just got on with the job was the problem. The “EU” as a concept did not even exist when the rot truly set in. As for government investment, the British motor industry was mostly nationalised during this period, governments of both major parties poured millions of pounds in but it was squandered.
British firms didn’t build what customers wanted, and of. If The British truck and bus industry (all Britsh major industries for that matter) had woken up in about 1972ish and smelt the coffee Volvo, Scania, Daf, MAN etc wouldn’t have got a foot in the door.
ND888 BIGJ:
cheers renagade will rush out and get a copy for the old man and deliver poste haste lol
A couple of pages about the history of the firm.A good read,he should enjoy it.
Errr! Before I retire to my pit of iniquity…excuse me… but read the “History”. All will be revealed my friend.
Nite Nite catch you later.