ERF 44G Restored
Classic & Vintage Commercials|March 2017

Peter Simpson tells the story of a 1954 ERF which, though preserved in the early 1980s, then fell on hard times. Now though, it’s back in fine fettle thanks to an extremely impressive home restoration.

ERF 44G Restored

People often assume that once a vehicle is owned ‘in preservation’ and has perhaps appeared at a few rallies, its long-term future is secure. That, though, is by no means guaranteed – preservation is an ongoing process – and Andrew Moulding’s 1954 ERF 44G dropside is a classic example of a lorry which, though once ‘preserved’ subsequently fell on hard times and was very nearly lost as a consequence.

Andrew bought the lorry in 2007. At this point it was rough – very rough in fact – having been out of use and stored in the open for many years. More significantly, it was incomplete mechanically. However, the ERF’s cab contained rather unexpected evidence of a ‘past life in preservation’ in the form of several rally plaques from the mid-1980s. Inspired by this, Andrew entered the registration number online, and this bought up a photo of the lorry on display at a show in Essex in 1983. It looked pretty good then, too. The caption suggests that it was in commercial use until 1981 and passed straight to preservation from that.

It was far from good, though, 24 years after that appearance at North Weald. Specifically, the cab’s wooden frame was rotted out in several places – though thanks to the combination of glass-fibre lower panels and roof and aluminium panels in between it actually looked marginally better than it was. The dropside body had all-but vanished, with only the metal frame base and side sections plus a few bits of rotten wood remaining. On the mechanical side the engine was missing its entire top end – the cylinder heads and associated gear were all missing.

Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Classic & Vintage Commercials.

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Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Classic & Vintage Commercials.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

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Assorted AECs
Classic & Vintage Commercials

Assorted AECs

One of the most eye-catching ‘group’ displays at the 2016 AEC Rally was the five-lorry lineup of AECs owned and restored by the Laughran family, all of which had made the trip over from Armagh in Northern Ireland to be at the show.

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3 mins  |
March 2017
Commer Classic
Classic & Vintage Commercials

Commer Classic

Like the AEC we featured in 2009, Graham Reed’s recently-completed Commer TS3 restoration replicates one of the lorries his father started the family business with in the early sixties. This one, though, was a massive undertaking. David Reed tells the story.

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8 mins  |
February 2017
ERF 44G Restored
Classic & Vintage Commercials

ERF 44G Restored

Peter Simpson tells the story of a 1954 ERF which, though preserved in the early 1980s, then fell on hard times. Now though, it’s back in fine fettle thanks to an extremely impressive home restoration.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2017
JET Starter!
Classic & Vintage Commercials

JET Starter!

Peter Simpson tells the fascinating story of a low mileage Commer Superpoise and its rather special ‘load’…

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6 mins  |
March 2017
Albion CX
Classic & Vintage Commercials

Albion CX

Peter Davies begins his in-depth profi le of Albion’s final independent product to realise its full commercial potential.

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5 mins  |
April 2017
Smith & Robinson Memories
Classic & Vintage Commercials

Smith & Robinson Memories

Another superb selection of period S&R photos from the collection of former Manchester depot engineer David Whalley.

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6 mins  |
April 2017
Bedford Know Howe
Classic & Vintage Commercials

Bedford Know Howe

Nick Howe’s fabulous Bedford TK restoration has taken nine years to complete, and is now correct in every detail and a superb reminder of a similar Bedford operated by the Howe family firm in the late 1960s. Peter Davies tells the story.

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8 mins  |
February 2017
Vulcan 6 Tonner
Classic & Vintage Commercials

Vulcan 6 Tonner

Peter Davies begins his in-depth profi le of a classic ‘premium middleweight’.

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5 mins  |
February 2017
1974 Atkinson Borderer
Classic & Vintage Commercials

1974 Atkinson Borderer

Now residing in Northern Ireland is BAB 661M, a 1974 Atkinson Borderer now with W & J Chambers Concrete Products, and finished in their livery.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2017