Hello Jonathan:
My source for the the Bedford Mammoth was an old Lucas parts book.
Considering the source a mistake is possible, however there was an AEC
Matador which was a military truck. Possibly you have confused the two.
>Just as an aside AEC used Mammoth as a model name not
>Bedford. The Mammoth Major was a 8 wheeler (4 axle)
>rigid truck - the last one I drove had no power steering
>and certainly needed it!!. The Leyland here was certainly
>a Reiver not Retreiver - not sure on spelling on Reiver ie or ei?
>or even Reaver it is some time ago!. anyway usually a 4
> wheeler twin axle model.
The Leyland Retreiver was also a military vehicle. It was a 6X4 with the
drive in the tandem rear axles. It came in a variety of body types but the
chassis featured an early, cab-over engine, open cab truck with a loaded
weight of nearly 20,000 pounds. It used a 5.9 litre Leyland engine. I can
find no reference to a Reiver or Reaver. There was a Beaver, and a
Beaverette made by Standard.
The model name was from the
> old Albion company they took over and refers to the old
>border (England/Scotland) raiders who were so called.
>I thought Pig was an army slang name for a Humber personal
>carrier rather than the makers but might be wrong.
The Pig was an actual model name.
>What on earth was a Morris Terrapin? never heard of it.
The Morris Terrapin was a Morris Commercial 8X8 Amphibian developed by
Thornycroft. It used twin Ford V8 engines and was developed in 1943-44.
It undoubtedly saw service in Normandy. A total of 500 were built. It
featured open cargo holds front and rear with a driver situated amidships.
It looked a bit like a smaller DUKW but with two more wheels.
>The Leyland Octopus was another 8 wheeler BTW.
>Not much car content so will call this enough - anyway
>reminds me how awful most were too drive when I was
>younger!!.
There were a great many British MVs with delightfully martial names. Some
excellent ones include:
Thornycroft Tartar and Amazon; Maudslay Militant, Leyland Martian, Vickers
Vigor, Alvis Saracen and Saladin.
I probably can find more if anyone is interested. BTW, many of these
trucks and MVs are directly related to our LBCs and are probably not at all
out of place as subject matter for our lists. This is particularly so if
one defines LBC as "Large" BC.
John McEwen
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