Lorries in Britain: The 2000s

The 2000s saw the end of a good many haulage and vehicle manufacturing companies and also a series of company takeovers. The British lorry manufacturers had all but disappeared and foreign vehicles became more and more prominent on the roads in the British Isles. ERF, who was sold to Western Star in 1996 had moved from Sandbach to Middlewich in 2000 around the time of the takeover by M.A.N. The name was dropped completely in 2009. Foden’s ceased production in 2006, and in the same year it was announced by ENASA/IVECO that Seddon Atkinson production would end. All had been major players in Britain. and indeed, the export market, but nothing lasts forever. Fortunately, there were still a number of diehard users of British vehicles to be seen, capable of doing a hard day’s work. Lots have changed over the years, and this collection of rare and previously unpublished images celebrates a time of change on the roads at the start of the twenty-first century.