Baghdad or bust! Part 2

Here is Part 2 of the recollections of the intrepid drivers and their Volvos, largely F88/F89s or, later, F10/F12s,who participated in the legendary Middle East runs of the ’70s and ’80s

- Dave Bowers

With a military background in the British Army’s Household Cavalry, serving as a tank driving instructor, Ian Taylor was well placed to take on any mechanical truck repairs when he was miles from anywhere on the Middle East run.

His first drive in a Volvo coincided with his initial Middle East trip and, realising what he was up against, he took pains to spend a full week preparing his Volvo F88 for its 3000-mile overland journey from the UK to Baghdad. Ian was accompanied by two other F88 drivers, John Mudd and Bob Matthews, who were also employed by Brit European Transport, of the Carmans Transport group.

Culture shock

“My truck was a 1970 H-registration F88 with the 240 engine. Although it was four years old, driving it was quite a culture shock after the older truck designs you were expected to drive in those days,” says Ian.

“This was also our company’s first Middle East job and our trucks were carrying loads of heavy porcelain bathroom suites, so we were up to full weight.

“There was a problem with my F88 in Mardin, Turkey when it started slipping sideways, threatening to slide over the side of a cliff, but this was prevented by standing on the brakes while someone towed my truck clear. My F88 was state-of-the-art in those days, even if it was the lower-powered 240 version. I thought I had won the lottery. And the sleeper cab provided a superior living environment to what I’d been used to before.”

“There was a problem with my F88 in Mardin, Turkey when it started slipping sideways, threatening to slide over the side of a cliff”