Moving Memorial

‘Ghost Rider’, now owned by Charlie Doyle, is a fitting tribute by Tor Trucks boss Shane Brereton to the late, great Martin Phippard, a true truck-loving legend

For Shane Brereton to achieve one of his lifetime ambitions has taken 25 years. Having been responsible for dozens of superb creations for others, Shane – truck racer and founder/head honcho at Tor Trucks, the renowned Somerset-based truck paint, repair and customising specialist – took all that time to get around to producing his own personal custom truck. It’s something that’s entirely his own creation, not an interpretation of other people’s ideas.

The end result is something truly stunning, a Volvo FH tractor unit that combines modern, traditional and totally way-out themes, all beautifully executed with great attention to detail, which is very much a feature of Shane’s work through the years. Also including artwork by Matt, another specialist at the top of his game, the truck is the latest creation from the two specialists who combined their talents to create their first customised truck 24 years ago. In case you are wondering, it was a Scania R113 tractor unit for Rob Warren.

But there is far more to this tale than the truck itself. First, the job took three years to complete; second, the finished product is in memory of a hugely popular individual who had a big impact upon Shane. Two years into the project, the truck was sold to a new owner who was quite prepared to wait another year for the finished product and who has no intention of putting the truck to work for another year.

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