British and European Trucks of the 1970s

This book takes a fresh look at a period in trucking history when power, weight and comfort increased dramatically. However, whilst this revolution was taking place, many manufacturers were struggling to find the money to keep pace with competitors, and by the end of the decade many were being consigned to the history books.

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The 1970s witnessed more changes to the trucking industry in Europe than any previous decade. Whilst European truck builders had been developing powerful vehicles capable of operating at between 35 to 38 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW), and equipped with comfortable sleeper cabs for long haul international journeys, in the UK the truck builders were playing catch up.
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 ...
A unique account of a turbulent period in trucking history.