Classic trucks on display at Volvo UK headquarters

A display of more than 80 classic Volvo trucks formed the centrepiece of an open day held recently at the Volvo Trucks UK and Ireland headquarters in Warwick.

The event was part of the company’s celebrations of the 50th anniversary of its official arrival in the UK commercial vehicle market through Ailsa Trucks, founded by Scottish entrepreneurs Jim McKelvie and Jim Keyden in 1967 at Barrhead, Glasgow. Most of the Volvos on display were owned by members of “The Steel Boys” - a collective of operators and enthusiasts for all makes of classics.

Every iconic Volvo truck from the past 50 years was represented, from various examples of the F86 - including the first one registered, now owned by the manufacturer - to a selection of F10s, F12s, F16s and FH16s from the mid-1990s. There were three 1976 F88s owned by Nobby Caistor, G Swain and Knowles Transport in Cambridgeshire.

The first was previously owned by mod rock band The Who and used to transport gear on overseas tours The G Swain model featured in the film The Da Vinci Code where it was crashed into a Citroen DS, while the third was part of the transport fleet for the Arrows F1 team. The team's owner Tom Walkinshaw of TWR worked with Volvo as the contractor who facelifted the FL range in 2000.

An Ailsa limited-edition 50th anniversary FH16-750 truck was also on display. Throughout the day there were a wide range of events, including a display of model trucks from the widow of a former Volvo Trucks employee, who has donated them to the company. The display was timed to coincide with The Steel Boys’ annual Saturday stopover at Warwick en route to the Classic and Vintage Commercial Show at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon.

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