HC Preater Ltd
of Swindon put into service one of the newest Ford
breakdown trucks mounted on the 30-40 cwt commercial
vehicle chassis in 1931. Three days after its completion
and roll out onto the road, it was put into operation
to complete its first SOS call from an owner of a stranded
and ditched car along the A420 Chippenham Road Lyneham.
Preater's breakdown gang turned out, duly hauled the
damaged car on to the road, hoisted its fore-end (both
near-side wheels having come slightly unput) and towed
it into dock. The photograph featured in a page from
Ford Times of September 1931 about pages from the past.
Forty two years later the breakdown vehicle was still
at Lyneham albeit not in service, but under a tarpaulin
and hiding under a mountain of builders equipment in
Messers Willmotts Garage Lyneham. On inspection, then
the vehicle's condition was a powerful testimony to
the staying power of an AA truck. This was even more
remarkable when you consider how this Ford truck spent
the fifteen years previous uncovered and in the open
at Lyneham. It was intact and still had the bulk of
its original equipment and Ford fittings.
Picture with thanks to Mr
Ron Sheppard |
