Category Archives: Truck Detective

DAF Danzas Detective

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Trailers shouldn’t be ignored, you know I enjoy looking at old trailers as much as old trucks. Is that just my perversion going to far, or are you lot the same?? I had a pleasant Saturday morning out, wandering around loads of old commercials, so I will be writing various blogs about the, no doubt, about time I gave you some material!

Here we go then, kicking things off is this lovely Danzas, drawbar trailer. It was in relatively good condition compared to others. Having had a good nose about it seemed a little unique. I couldn’t think of many UK based Danzas drawbars, in fact I couldn’t think of any. The trailer was built by DAF which made me think this is likely to be from a haulier who subbed for Danzas or worked from the Netherlands. Moving to the rear of the trailer, it had some extra mud flaps, the sign of a driver who liked his trailer, so perhaps an owner driver. Despite the trailer being built by DAF the rear lights and London Boroughs permit suggests this was a UK operated trailer, well at least at the end of its life.

Amazingly I posted these photos on my Facebook page yesterday (Saturday) to see if anyone had any ideas on who’s it was or if anyone knew anything about it. The blog is a good place to ask questions and get answers from all of your extensive knowledge, but I was surprised to get quite such a response just a couple of hours after posting the pics. On Facebook I had a reply from Michael Edwards, also sending the below photo, amazing! Michael said “This is Dave Princes wagon and drag from Avonmouth. I think Chris Amos was the driver.”

You can’t deny that it certainly looks like the right trailer and as I said, there can’t have been many Danzas drawbars in the UK. Thanks for the info Michael, if anyone wants to add anything else please leave a comment below. More of my findings to come later on and also more trailer talk, or trailer detective work!

Catch The Pigeon…. Well Nearly!

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So after my last plea last year, I got a lovely email from Adrian English at the weekend with the above photo attached and a few words of explanation. I don’t actually know how or why but I’m guessing Adrian may be involved with pigeons or the pigeon fraternity but how ever I am so pleased to see my old girl and see that she is indeed still keeping herself busy even though she is something like 21 years old.

Adrian says the chap who is the current owner works for Border Amalgamation in Manchester. Border Amal appear to be organisers of pigeon races so makes sense the cure my owner works for them. We are t Tom sure how recent the photo is but if the owner of said blue beauty reads this can you make contact please. I’ve tried to find you on Facebook but there are a lot of people with the same name! Anyway I’d be good to catch up with the truck if I can this year, no idea why but that’s what up truck nuts do I guess.

Merry Christmas Bloggers!!

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Mystery DAF in the Dock

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So my good pal who many of you will know by various names, Mat Ireland, needs a little help with a mystery DAF 3300. Spotted many moons ago in Felixstowe dock, this DAF was never seen again, by May anyway. Clearly an owner driver or small haulier, with a cab covered in murals of well clothed ladies, some extra lights and generally a great looking truck. Not to mention seen here pulling a trailer from one of the best trailer companies there is (I may be a little biased!), Continental Cargo Carriers.

As you can see there is just a chance that it’s still sat somewhere in the UK, since January 1998, as no export market given, but that isn’t always correct. Was still listed as blue, was on the road for 13 years and judging by the date the tax expired it had been taxed for 12 months every year. That’s about all that my Columbo skills can tell me. I am sure that someone somewhere will know the truck straight away and be able to give a name, to help Mat get some sleep at night. Has anyway got any other photos? Did you own it at some point? Any info greatly received, so please leave comments or contact me.

Spotted: My Old Atego!!

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Spotted this morning getting on the M5 at Taunton, only my old Atego!! I’m so excited. It must have released a load of racing pigeons as it was in a mini convoy of other bird carrying trucks. Jack Rigby was quick enough to get some video coverage and I’ve no doubt it is AV52 KGU, now taxed until April 2022. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can someone tell me more about who has it, who runs and what the new reg is. It’s probably heading back up the M5 and M6 as we speak back to it’s north west base. Come on truck detectives, tell me more!

Centurion List Update

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RP and myself thought it was time for an update on the Centurion List as it’s been a little while since we said anything. As with everything we could blame COVID for everything but that’s only part of the recent issues. Firstly book publishers seem to have gone to ground and we are struggling to find a new publisher for the book as the original has pulled out and has no interest what so ever. Not particularly helpful, but you know of or have published your own books then please get in contact. Next we have the on going issues with the Centurion box set model. Centurion number 001 model of fine and looks a treat. The Master Centurion on the other hand, has proved a little more tricky. The truck itself and the detail is correct, the problem is the paint colour. Having spoken to the original painter who painted the truck their seems to be no record of the official colour used. Richard and I had selected a colour that we felt is as close as we can get and also what will look good on the model bearing in mind pearlescent paint on 1:50 scale models is not possible. The paint code was given to the model maker and without any notice or consultation they have painted the truck in a different colour that isn’t correct. This is an ongoing piece so you will also have to bear with us on that please as we want to be as right as we can be for such an iconic model truck.

As for the list itself well we have a little more time to fill the remaining gaps while we try to confirm a new publisher. As it stands we have only 5 on the 100 editions that don’t have an original owner or reg number against them.

Does anyone who anything about; 037, 039, 043, 054 or 068???

We also have 5 or so trucks that we can’t assign to a number and seem to be untraceable thus far. Above we have J606 UOE on AID mission to Romania in 1992. No one at Keltruck can remember or has a photo that shows the Centurion number. We suspect that this was sold on under a different registration number. Anyone know who bought it from Keltruck???

J5 LOS a cracker of a Centurion and one we have plenty of info on and photos of from Blairmore Haulage. Still no number for this one either. Anyone???

J598 AAO was new to AW Jenkinson and then went on to Stephen Sanderson. Neither can remember the number and the following owners have also not been able to confirm the number. Anyone???

This great photo of Cambrian Pet Foods appeared on the Centurion Facebook page from Stephen Vandevoorde and we knew Cambrian’s had a Centurion, but no record of the number. The registration was J727 TRO. Anyone???

We still haven’t solved the mystery of this photo either and all the clues and evidence is there but no idea on the number. Anyone???

Can you confirm the number for J949 EDS please. Belonged to Thomas Douglas and Misfud. Anyone???

Finally this classic. One of her Owners Steve Clark from Essex, is sure it’s number 024 and that fits as we knew 024 was a 450hp and the reg number is J450 MGV, which also fits with it being a Robinsons of Stowmarket truck. Does anyone know anymore about it???

We have tons of info as you can imagine so we don’t really need to go over old ground but if you have anything else you can tell us then please step forward. Happy hunting Centurion lovers!

Dover Mystery Machine

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I say mystery machine but we can all agree that the evidence suggests it’s a lovely old SK Mercedes-Benz. That said, would you expect to spot it in a very windy Dover, waiting to ship out on a Tuesday evening?? No not really. Spotted by top #littlebigcabclub member Mr Marsh, this old girl was joining the lines waiting to head off to France last night. A few thing to consider, it’s a day cab, it’s a Luton, it’s got a rear loading well, it’s plain white, it’s not your average continental spec is it. Taking all that on board I think it is a regular on the high seas to Europe. Why? Well it’s an 18 tonner but why is it so low, especially for a Luton body, if it was UK only surely it would be taller??

Anyway a little bit of fun, any ideas who’s it is or what it’s doing?? Have you seen a regular shipper outer who doesn’t fit the shipper outer bill??

C390 BBU – Volvo F10

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Asking for a friend…. We need some help and more info on the life of a Volvo F10 with the registration number C390 BBU please. It’s current owner and restorer thinks that it used to be on for Kammac’s although we don’t have pictorial evidence. The photo of C390 BBU above suggests that the livery may have once part of the Kammac fleet if you look at the fleet colours in the photo below. Not exactly identical but that is because the photo above is when the truck was part of the Applegate Rental fleet. At the time the above photo was taken in 1990, she was 5 years old. The current owner has spoken to various people and it is thought that the truck wasn’t new when it joined Applegate. Can anyone confirm if this was a Kammac truck or not please?

We are trying to find out the vehicles heritage hence the questions. As all classic truck owners know, it’s nice to know the life of your vehicle. The most important thing to know is of course who had it from new, so if any of you bloggers know anyone who was part of the Kammac fleet or set up, can you see what you can find out please and report back.

As you can see the truck is getting the full treatment and has had a full, proper full, ground up restoration. I have to say that the quality of the work in this is tip top and a credit to the skill of the current owner. Nothing left or ignored, striped right back to the chassis rails and started again. The engine had the same treatment and now looks like new, someone at Volvo Trucks UK should be getting excited about this one!

Please let me know by email or comment below if you know anything about the life of this truck. Thank you bloggers!

Liquid Sunsets

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I often put out requests, queries and questions for you all, as I have come to learn that if I have something I need an answer too, then one of you will know the answer. When I was driving, a good few years ago now, I often used to see the above tanker and it’s great mural on the back end. As you can imagine following this for a while leaves a memory that you remember the next time you see it, so when I found a photo I took I instantly recognised it. I don’t remember ever seeing the truck parked up anywhere or at a show, although it would never have had the trailer with it at truck shows back in the late 90’s. I put a request out on Instagram and the Facebook and low and behold timothycook702 on Instagram came up with the info.

A great looking truck, clearly an owner driver, extra lights, air horns, deep green metallic paint, euro stickers and a hazardous stainless steel tank behind. So do you recognise it?? Want to know a little more??……..well I do, so here you go;

“He traded as AMH Haulage, his name was Ian Green from Carnforth. The green DAF was his first outfit and red DAF replaced it, he’s a good friend of mine”

Now we know who’s it was and where they can from. We also now know that he moved on from one smart DAF to another smart DAF but a change of colour. Also the theme of a painted rear end continued but this time it looks to be airbrushed and a little more artistic. I think I preferred the first paint job. Also I noticed a Spanish web address on the back end which may explain the euro badges. Amazing what you can find out by asking the blog readers.

Thanks timothycook702 and thanks Ian Green!

Last Call for Scania Centurions

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The Centurion book is being written. Yes it’s taken a few years but Richard Payne and myself are happy that we have almost all the info we can get our hands on…..for now anyway. Many of you have helped and many of you have contributed both information, leads and photos. The current plan is to have the book ready to launch early next year ready for the 30th anniversary of the Centurion.

Please have a think and if you have any thing else to offer (unseen photos would be great) such as information on any of the 6 Unknown’s that would be awesome. As it stands we have no information on original owner s for just 6 of the 100 trucks. That said we have 2 trucks we can’t allocate numbers two although we know they are legitimate Centurions.

Above is a beast of a Centurion we believe was new to Mr Peckham as pictured above. I have spoken to the 2nd owner today and he is sure Mr Peckham was the first owner and then he bought the truck 2nd hand when the truck was just over a year old. That said we still need to know the number of the Mr Peckham / Road Route Ltd flying machine.

Next on the unknown number list is this one. Owned at this point by Stephen Sanderson Transport, having spoken with Mr Sanderson he can’t remember the number either, but he thinks he was the second owner and we believe that this truck was new to AW Jenkinsons at Penrith but again nobody seems to know the number.

We also have the below 143 500 belonging to Blairmore. We made contact but have heard no more. Does anyone know any more about this truck please?

The 6 missing trucks are the following numbers; 036, 037, 039, 043, 054 and 067.

Without being a plonker, can I please ask you to think about what you know as we have an awful lot of info and know all the basics and don’t really want to go back through everything again but this is easier said than done. As we all know anything is easy once you know the answer. We need plenty of photos for alsorts of numbers as I said earlier, but again all the common photos are readily available on the internet. If you have anything that you feel may not have been seen or is your own photo then please email me and I can credit you in the book. My email; ben@truckblog.co.uk

Finally we have a cut off of the 1st of June in order to get everything written and ready for the start of the publishing process. Please email me on the above of make contact through the blog or social media of some kind. Thank you all!!