Commercials
Not their finest hour : Guy Wulfrunian
Mike Humble From personal experience, there is no customer more difficult to trade with or educate for that matter than a Bus or Coach operator. Your average road haulier for example will look for overall cost and network support before driver acceptance and a typical average car buyer tends to look for reliability and a [...]
May 1, 2013
· 
Mike Humble · 
24 Comments
Commercial Vehicles : Your help needed
Mike Humble They say that time flies, and how true is that sentiment? This month marks the 20th anniversary of the collapse of Europe’s largest truck builder – Leyland DAF. Way back in 1987, the two brands of DAF and Leyland were merged into one following the Conservative Government’s decision to start privatising the State owned-Rover [...]
February 23, 2013
· Mike Humble · 15 Comments
The commercials : 1986 Ford Transit
On the eve of the end of UK Transit production, James Godwin tells the story of the design process at Ford’s Dunton facility in Essex. It was an interesting process – and a tale of inspiration and improving on the best… Transit’s aero outlook Launched in the 1960s the Ford Transit became inspiration for the [...]
January 25, 2013
· Keith Adams · 52 Comments
Unsung heroes : Bedford/AWD TK and TL Series
Mike Humble When you think of British trucks, the same names automatically come to the forefront of your mind: ERF, Foden, Leyland and Seddon Atkinson. All but one (Leyland) are long gone, either swallowed up by European corporates or they’ve simply faded away. UK truck manufacturing was once as sprawling and complex as our car [...]
December 8, 2012
· Mike Humble · 44 Comments
Unsung Heroes : ERF ‘EC’ Truck range
Mike Humble For almost a century, Sandbach (pron: sand batch) was home to two truck makers, bitter rivals for many years ERF and Foden were very much the backbone of the UK haulage industry. Rather more so than Leyland until the 1960s. A lesser-known fact is that back in time the two rivals were once [...]
November 11, 2012
· Mike Humble · 24 Comments
Blog : Modern diesels – longevity vs environment
Mike Humble You know, they say the best conversations a man can ever have are in the pub or down the barbers – and it’s 100% true. Some of the best Politicians, Engineers, Police Chief Superintendents or Heads of State that never were earn their wedge by cutting hair and putting the world to rights. I [...]
November 8, 2012
· Mike Humble · 74 Comments
Events : RAC Future Car Challenge 2012
Words and Photographs: Mike Humble Well, it all started a few weeks ago when Keith Adams emailed me asking if I would like to grab a steer or a ride in this year’s RAC-sponsored Future Car Challenge from Brighton to London. After mulling it over for a couple of days I decided, why not? There [...]
November 4, 2012
· Mike Humble · 8 Comments
Unsung Heroes : Commer/Dodge Spacevan
Mike Humble Once upon a time, life was so much simpler wasn’t it? You got your electric from the electric board, your gas from the gas board and yes… you guessed it, your water from the water board. Some of you may still remember a time when possessing a telephone was something of a luxury [...]
September 18, 2012
· Mike Humble · 37 Comments
Commercial Vehicles : Leyland Marathon
Mike Humble tells the story of the hugely influential Leyland Marathon The start of the fightback Adapting to market changes – and fast After all the trials and tribulations over the past three decades, one of the key members of the British Leyland Motor Corporation still prospers and survives. Leyland trucks based in the Lancashire [...]
August 18, 2012
· Mike Humble · 9 Comments
In memoriam : Vauxhall Astravan
Keith Adams Come the end of 2012, one of the UK’s most enduring motoring icons will be getting the bullet. Vauxhall has confirmed that production of the Astravan is to cease, although the company says that there will be sufficient stock to cover sales through to at least the first three months of 2013. The [...]
August 17, 2012
· Keith Adams · 77 Comments
Unsung Heroes : Leyland-DAF/LDV 400 – vantastic success!
A variation on a theme of our popular Unsung Heroes section. This time we pay respect to what was once ‘The biggest selling and biggest sized van in the UK’. Words: Mike Humble It’s Britain’s biggest van! Funny as it seems, but to feature a commercial vehicle in the ‘Unsung Heroes’ section actually makes perfect [...]
July 26, 2012
· Mike Humble · 22 Comments
News : LDV ‘Maxus’ goes on sale in Oz
They say Sherpa vans don’t quit… and neither do their drivers – well, here’s the proof. Vans from China’s biggest motor manufacturer are locked and loaded for launch in Australia in October after a formal sign-off ceremony in China this week. Words: Ron Hammerton A shipment of 120 LDV V80 vehicles produced by SAIC subsidiary [...]
July 24, 2012
· Keith Adams · 31 Comments
News : Backbone of Britain breaks cover
Andrew Elphick Finally, Ford’s new Transit Custom has broken cover away from the halogen spotlights of the show circuit. Ford whetted the appetite of ‘White van person’ (we’re very politically correct here at AROnline!) back in March with the taster Tourneo Custom concept luxury bus. Fast forward a month and the Commercial Vehicle Show previewed [...]
June 20, 2012
· Keith Adams · 63 Comments
First Drive : Vauxhall VXR8 Maloo
Over the past ten years, the VXR brand has slowly established itself as the bad-boy performance badge for people who are looking for something a little ragged than the usual European opposition. Of course, this reputation for wildness has been ably assisted by the addition of the Monaro in 2004 – a badge-engineered Holden that [...]
March 29, 2012
· Keith Adams · 39 Comments
The Commercials : Leyland T45 Constructor
AROnline gets down in the dirt as we take another look at the T45 cab system Leyland introduced back in the early 80′s. Another big seller in the commercial vehicle sector was the Leyland Constructor – a range of 6 or 8 wheel vehicles up to 30 tons GVW. Mike Humble gets into gear and takes [...]
January 25, 2012
· Mike Humble · 11 Comments
The commercials : Leyland T45 Freighter
Leyland’s medium weight Freighter was the company’s bright new hope of the 1980s, combining two previous ranges into one – and putting in a strong performance in what became the fast growing sector up to 17 tons GVW. Mike Humble takes up the story. The Boxer is beaten by a new middleweight Even those unaware [...]
January 23, 2012
· Mike Humble · 22 Comments
The Commercials : Leyland T45 Cruiser
Hot on the heels of the stylish Roadtrain, and replacing the Buffalo 2 range of meduim weight artics, was the T45 Cruiser launched in 1982. Differing from the Roadtrain by only being offered with in-house power units and 4×2 axle configuration, Mike Humble tells the story. Cruising the UK’s mean streets The Leyland truck portfolio [...]
January 22, 2012
· Mike Humble · 5 Comments
The commercials : Leyland T45 Roadtrain
Many see 1980 as the start of the big product led recovery plan instigated by Sir Michael Edwardes, notably with the Austin Metro. But a few junctions up the M6 in Lancashire, another revolution was also starting. Mike Humble takes a look at the heavy end of BL with the multi-award winning Leyland Roadtrain Keep [...]
January 21, 2012
· Mike Humble · 34 Comments
Essays : The 500-Series – Leyland loses its head!
The 500 Series diesel cost Leyland a packet – and not just in development costs. Mike Humble tells the story of this ‘interesting’ engine Fixed head asset CONTRARY to modern day belief, Leyland Truck and Bus was once a formidable force on a truly global scale with British trucks and buses operating in all four [...]
October 10, 2011
· Mike Humble · 27 Comments
The Trucks : Leyland Roadrunner/Leyland-DAF 45 (1984-1993)
Launched with a blaze of publicity on billboards, Trucking magazines and TV advertising, the Roadrunner quickly became an established member of the quickest growing sector in the truck market – the 7.5-tonne range. Stylish, economical and a class-leading payload, the Roadrunner became the best selling truck in its sector which even today in the form [...]
October 7, 2011
· Mike Humble · 34 Comments
