CityMotoring Is Fox slowing down?
How is it that two of the most enjoyable drives in my career as a motoring journalist have been in vehicles unable to exceed 40 M.P.H.? One of them was in a Sherman tank (The Times, 12 July 2008). More recently, thanks to the kindness of Edward Album, I had first a ride and then a brief drive in a 1944 ex-army 10 ton truck.
Ronnie Fox, Past Master,
Motoring Correspondent
Edward, a Freeman of the Company, has been my mentor and friend since I commenced the practice of law in the City. During his National Service he developed an enthusiasm for driving Army lorries. For 10 years he owned a 1944 AEC Matador 10 ton truck in excellent condition. This magnificent vehicle has full Royal Artillery markings, a powerful and unbelievably noisy 7.7 litre diesel engine and a cruising speed of around 32 M.P.H. It was designed to tow artillery and anti-aircraft guns weighing up to 7½ tons. In the event these incredibly tough vehicles were used for a large variety of military purposes, including transporting pontoon bridges.
AEC is an abbreviation for Associated Equipment Company. This wonderful British company built buses, coaches and lorries from 1912 until 1979 when it disappeared into the black hole called British Leyland. Perhaps the best-known AEC product was the iconic Routemaster double-decker bus.
During World War II thousands of AEC Matador trucks saw active service. Rommel captured a number of Matadors; it is said that he greatly admired these distinctive trucks with their flat-fronted cabs and gently curved roofs. The cabs were built on a wooden frame and clad in sheet steel; the large flat load carrying area was covered by canvas or tarpaulin. There was often a hole in the roof of the cab to enable the front seat passenger to fire his rifle without leaving the truck.
To tell the truth our initial drive on a fast road was terrifying. Cars hurtled past at more than twice our speed. Then it was my turn, back in the car park, to climb a long way up into the driving seat and to select the right switches on the Simms control panel to make the engine roar into life. No power-assistance for the steering or synchromesh for the gearbox. My task was to haul on the enormous near horizontal steering wheel to manoeuvre the monster away from a cluster of caravans and towards its billet in an enormous farm shed. More fun than you can possibly imagine!
16 • Issue 84
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