ive done a bit of researching and here is a list of leyland “zoo” names, i cant find anymore anybody that can i’ll be glad to know them.
bear
beaver
beaver-eel
bison
buffalo
badger
boxer
bull
clydedale
cub
eland (s/a vista-vue super comet)
hippo
lynx
llama
lioness
mastiff
octopus
panda (zimbabwe bonneted)
rhino
retreiver
steer (as in young cattle?)
tiger (30’s motors based on the bus chassis, lyons ran them)
tiger cub (similar to above i think based on a psv chassis)
terrier
Clydesdale - came from Albion
Mastiff - came from Thornycroft
have you noticed the letter b is way more popular than the others marky, i wonder why that is?
I thought that as well - it does seem strange doesn’t it?
I wonder if anyone else on here knows if there was some sort of plan behind it?
Leopard and Panther are members of the Leyland Zoo, on the bus side of the family.
the buses do all seem to be named after big cats, i dont know all the names on the bus side though.
Mal:
have you noticed the letter b is way more popular than the others marky, i wonder why that is?
The same could be said of AEC, but using the letter ‘M’
thats right kv come to think of it a lot more prevelent than b’s in the leyland range!
mercury
mandator
mammoth
mammoth major
marshall
matador
majestic
monarch
marathon
leylands marathon to be fair was really an aec!
Mal:
thats right kv come to think of it a lot more prevelent than b’s in the leyland range!mercury
mandator
mammoth
mammoth major
marshall
matador
majestic
monarch
marathonleylands marathon to be fair was really an aec!
Mammoth Minor
Marshal Major
Marshal Eight
Mogul
Militant
Mustang (post-Maudslay buyout)
PSVs aside, AECs nomenclature was exclusively M-prefixed, whereas Leyland Motors was predominantly B-prefixed.
some good additions marky, i wonder why they all were named with a m? it says that from 1930 this practice started dna also the triangle badge. but there s no explanation. i will be able to solve it soon tho i hope one of the books ive had for christmas in an all aec book by graham edge, it might have the details in there?
Mal:
steer (as in young cattle?)
nowt to do with age, just means you cut his [zb]'s off
as you can see den, i know ■■■■ all about cattle! thanks for the info!
That Steer was usually a twin-steer so a play on words as well
I thought the Hippo was normal control mainly for export but found out recently they offered it as an ergo cabbed 6 wheeler with the 680 engine,200bhp at 22 tons would have been some rig in the late 60’s.
Albion also had the Claymore which was underfloor engined and did a six wheeler on 8 stud wheels that only grossed 18 ton.I think it was still a Reiver though.
boden:
That Steer was usually a twin-steer so a play on words as well
i thought about that boden, which is why i mentioned the cattle. i wondered if it was called the steer because as you say they were twin steers! it’s a good play on words anyway, and fits the menagerie! ive got a picture somewhere of the steer with self changing gears like the 2 pedal beaver, and fitted with the 680 at 200bhp. i’ll scan it in and post it here if i can remember!
im going to get a better book on leylands, the one ive got is all falling apart, and its quite thin considering the massive firm leyland were and the things they did, can you (or anybody else) reccomend a good one?
Mal
Checkout Nynehead books, I can recommend any of their stuff-Leyland Lorries-A Celebration is what you are looking for, and those books by Graham Edge about the Beaver and Comet as well as his single model AEC stuff are excellent
cheers boden, that might well be the book to go for! ive got the aec book by graham edge on order, also a peter davis book lorries at work in the 60’s. i was going to get the gardner engines biook by g edge, but it’s sold out and they just took the details off. thats a damned hard book to come by as well!
Mal - Graham is hosting a CVRTC meeting next week in Bolton which I am going to.
Do you want me to sound him out about getting a copy of the Gardner book?
yes plese marky! thats d be great!
Mal:
the buses do all seem to be named after big cats, i dont know all the names on the bus side though.
Off the top of my head:
Leopard
Tiger
Tiger Cub
Royal Tiger
Lynx
Panther
Gnu ( 30’s 3 axle)
Titan (double decker chassis)
Calv
there was a lioness as well calv, the truck of that name canme from the bus chassis as did the tiger & tiger cub. was there a lion i wonder?