32802 London Transport Dropside	THE REAL VEHICLE   The Ford Thames Trader was introduced in 1957 replacing the earlier ET range that had been in production since 1949. The Thames Trader's semi-forward control and unique bonnet design grave it a very distinctive appearance compared with other trucks of this era. The Trader range catered for loads from 1.5 to 7 tons and a simple range designation system was adopted: 15 for the lightest (1.5 ton) model, going up through the 20 (2 ton), 30 (3 ton) and 40 (4 ton). The largest rigid four wheeler was the 7 ton 70 which was intended as a rival to Bedford's S type. The Thames Trader was also produced as an articulated tractor unit and was even used the as basis for a bus chassis. The lighter Traders were available with petrol or diesel engines while a 5.41 litre six cylinder diesel was standard on the larger 70. Production of what became a highly successful range for Ford ended in 1965 following the introduction of the D series. Much of the information above was sourced from the excellent National Transport Museum of Ireland website. THE EFE MODEL   The first Thames Trader truck a short wheelbase Tipper were released in May 2007. It is expected that this cab will be combined with not only the new short tipper & dropside bodies but also many of the existing range of body and chassis types used on the other truck models in the range.
36101 Chaplins Luton Van
32701 Bass Worthington Flatbed