Old Irish Trucking

[oldirish33]

I have amassed a fair number of trucks and vans over the years. Having been around trucks all my life, there is an affinity for the work horses that often get overlooked in our day to day lives.

This Morris van is a whimsical homage to my beer brewing days and my family roots.

[Tom]

Very cool. I have a fondness for classic commercial vehicles myself.

[JSB33]

Another fan of trucks here.

Nice idea and execution.

[LUW]

Not my preferred espresso ratio, but that looks pretty good.

[Jager]

Nice touch with the Irish connection. Do you like the “Black Stuff”.

[oldirish33]

Nice touch with the Irish connection. Do you like the “Black Stuff”.

I'll go for a good pint of Liffy water from time to time. Unfortunately, I developed an allergy to hops, probably from when I was handling it alot while brewing beer. As a result, I can only drink beer in strict moderation, which is a pity since I love IPA's. We have over 200 craft breweries here in Oregon that make astounding beer. Fortunately I can drink wine and we live in wine country. There are 725 wineries in our state that make world class wine, not likely to run out!

[oldirish33]

Spark Bedford SB Team Lotus Transporter and Oxford Ford 400E Team Lotus Van

[oldirish33]

Dinky Foden 14 ton Mobilgas Tanker I always wanted one of these as a kid. Took me over 50 years to finally get one!

[Tom]

Love the Lotus group, droolworthy.

And that Foden tanker must be one of the best Dinkies ever. The grill is fantastic.

[JSB33]

Liking all of them. I had/still have a tanker but mine is ESSO.

[GBOAC002]

You won't believe how much I desired that Dinky Supertoys 'Mobilgas' tanker when I was a child. Just before Christmas I'd seen it in the Dinky Toys catalogue and probably pestered my Dad that this was the only thing I wanted that year for Christmas!!

Now whether it was sold out at the local toy shop, or parents decided price was too steep (most likely) I don't know. Dear Dad ever resourceful decided to do a replica paint job complete with hand painted logos. Well meaning and thinking fake was better than nothing, but probably a crestfallen look on my face as this d.i.y substitute was revealed on the big day.... It just wasn't the model in the Dinky Toys catalogue!

Whether tears ensued or a fit of the 'sulks' I don't remember.

The Foden Regent Tanker was also on my Christmas wants list and not forthcoming either....

I also recall having the plain two tone blue Foden, and the red cab, fawn brown Foden tanker equally dull. Probably my next birthday I was given the Shell tanker which lifted my spirits somewhat.

I'll bet Psychiatrist would have a 'field day' analysing model collectors childhood desires and disappointments!

I think I've overcome that early disappointment but you could be starting me off all over again.

[oldirish33]

I'll bet Psychiatrist would have a 'field day' analysing model collectors childhood desires and disappointments!

I think I've overcome that early disappointment but you could be starting me off all over again.

Sorry, don't mean to send you back to the psychiatrists couch!

Here is another one I wanted but didn't get as a youth, but held onto the one I later acquired after I sold the majority of my Dinky collection.

Dinky Bedford Carrimore Car Transporter



And this is for you Jeff. Dinky Leyland Octopus Esso Tanker

[JSB33]

And there is my truck. I don't think I have seen it in more than 25 years but it still exists.

[oldirish33]

Vitesse- 1959 Morris LD 150 Van (modified)

[Tom]

Really cool!

[JSB33]

2 thumbs up for this dynamic duo.

[Jager]

Nicely done Jerry. Was this van actually a “thing”, or something you created with a little artistic license given what we know about the Healey XR37 being towed on a trailer behind an Austin Cambridge ?

[oldirish33]

Nicely done Jerry. Was this van actually a “thing”, or something you created with a little artistic license given what we know about the Healey XR37 being towed on a trailer behind an Austin Cambridge ?

It is pure creation for fun and is the model that got the conversation about XR37 and its Le Mans transport started several years ago. DHMC never had a van like this and they had moved from the Cape as it was called to their location in the old cinema i Warwick several years before XR37. The chap that is writing the book about the Healey SR's & XR at Le Mans 68-70 has since become a friend and has shared a great deal of his research. I have previewed the first book section and its a very interesting read. From his research, we know the Austin tow vehicle and trailer in 1970 looked like this:

[oldirish33]

1948 Peterbuilt "Eskimo Pie" - ERTL

I come from a dairy family and part of my Dad's business was the distribution of fresh milk and ice cream to residential as well as restaurants and grocery stores. We distributed Eskimo Pie ice cream treats along with other ice cream novelties like Fudgsicle, Creamsicle, etc. Eskimo Pie was the first frozen ice cream treat of its kind, perfect for the boom of grocery stores in the post-war 1950's. I had to have this truck for nostalgia and use its bank to save coins for the ice cream man!

[oldirish33]

[JSB33]

I like them both for a lot of reasons.

[Tom]

Renault Goélette looks great.

[oldirish33]

Servizio Corse I am always looking for race support vehicles, or vehicles that could be converted to race support vehicles for diorama and/or collection backdrop use. Here are some I picked up recently that have joined my truck fleet.

1960 Fiat 1100 Van, Castrol - Altaya PW: I found the base vehicle cheap on ebay and felt it could be made into a race support vehicle for a Monza diorama I would like to do. The van is actually a Zastava who made Fiats under license by the Yugoslavian company. The van came in the green and white livery, I made the Castrol decals.



The Fiat 1100 T was made from 1957 as a panel van, pickup and minibus. The car was equipped with a in-line engine with 1,089 cc (type 103 D.007) with 38 PS (28 kW) at 4800 rpm and it had a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph). In 1959, its successor was unveiled, the Fiat 1100 T2, that had a 45 PS (33 kW) 1,222 cc engine.[24] Production continued with a steady stream of updated engines, until production of the 1100 T4 finally came to an end in 1971.



1952 Fiat 1100 ELR, Pirelli - Altaya PW: Another inexpensive acquisition, this van resumed the small commercial vehicles Fiat made after WWII. It is the grandfather of the Castrol van above. It came already with the Pirelli livery. It matches a Shell van I acquired some time before that is from that same era.



After WWII, Fiat introduced a light commercial vehicle based on the 1100 passenger car. Propelled by a 1.1L four-cylinder engine, it was reported to be capable of a top speed of 88 mph. However, that was probably unloaded, downhill with a tail wind. Like most of the commercial vehicles of its day, the 1100 ELR was an efficient light delivery vehicle, right sized for the narrow European streets it would have called home. This 1952 Pirelli van would have provided technical assistance to racers using their tire brand at events across Europe and the UK.



1990 Iveco TurboDaily, Ferrari - Old Cars: I am always looking for support vehicles to go with my Ferrari transporters and this is one I came across that I don't recall seeing before. The van itself was pretty plain when I first got it. I added some sponsor decals from the F1 effort during the early 90's, based on a photo of a similar van in one of my Ferrari books.



The Iveco Daily light commercial van which was first produced in 1978 and this Scuderia Ferrari support van is a second generation van introduced in 1990. The TurboDaily is powered by a 2.8L turbodiesel which produced 103 bhp. The TurboDaily had sufficient power and the capability to haul heavier loads, which would have been ideal for a busy racing team hauling gear and parts across Europe.



1983 Mercedes Benz 1625, Porsche - Louis Surber : I had been looking for this tractor/trailer for awhile, one of two Surber Porsche transporters I would like to own. The other is in the 1996 colors of their Le Mans effort. I have to admit, I thought this model as it came was pretty plain, so I took artistic license and added the Porsche shields, Group C car silhouette and FIA logo. The seller of the transporter included the Minichamps 962C pictured below, which sweetened the deal. I don't have any Porsche transporters from this era, so it makes a nice addition to the collection..



According to the book Renntransporter. to support its large group of racing customers in Group C, Porsche acquired a new semi-truck and trailer in 1983, for Kundensport, or customer race support. Porsche used a Mercedes Benz 1625 tractor powered by a 14.6L inter-cooled turbo V8, which produced 375 bhp. They equipped the trailer to carry spare parts, a workshop and a meeting room/lounge for Porsche racing customers. This semi-truck and trailer would have been a familiar sight in the paddock at European endurance races in the 1980's.

[Alfaholic]

I really like the old Italian support vehicles here Jerry. You have inspired me to look for some of the Alfa ones that may be around.