Logging Trucks 1915-1970 Photo Archive

Mergers, amalgamations and joint ventures have meant that the number of pan-European truck manufacturers can now almost be counted on the fingers of one hand. Modern legislation governing gross weights, emissions and operations, also mean that many of today's trucks are almost uniform. However, there was a decade when more than 50 truck manufacturers built a diverse range of sizes and configurations, the like of which will not be seen again. Increasing gross weights, the exploration of ultra-long haul routs, and the virtual doubling of engine power over the previous decade meant the '80s were a period of dramatic change. British and European Trucks of 1980's takes a look behind the scenes of some of the major players of the era, their successes and failures. Yet, it also covers smaller, often obscure manufacturers--such as those from former the Eastern Bloc, many of which were never seen outside their native countries.

The '70s witnessed a number of amalgamations, mergers and take-overs that would change the face of the pan-European trucking industry. It saw the birth of the infamous British Leyland empire, which was to have far-reaching and disastrous consequences for all the manufacturers it engulfed. In the face of booming sales of European heavyweights, both Ford and Bedford launched heavyweight models aimed at this key sector, but like most other British truck manufacturers, it was too little too late. This is a unique account of a turbulent period in trucking history.