Syd’s Scammell Supersale!
The Scammell Rigid-Eight is definitely an iconic lorry that appeared in 1937 and was the first rigid eight-wheeler that the Watford firm produced. Conceived in 1936, production was down to Scammell’s Chief Designers Oliver North and Percy Hugh, with the first two ‘prototypes’ being completed a year later. They were delivered to George Pickin & Sons of Tinsley and sported a rather ungainly cab.
This design had been replaced by the time the R8s were exhibited at the 1937 Motor Show, by the newer more stylish version that was to be associated with the R8s throughout its 22-year production run. There were some subtle variations with these cabs too though, including the width of the doors and the shape of the windscreens.
They were popular vehicles despite a fairly high price-tag of £1790 in 1938, and production remained pretty strong until sales began to decline in the mid-1950s. Fisher Renwick of Manchester and Youngs Express Deliveries of Glasgow were regular customers, while many found their way into the BRS fleet during nationalisation before returning to private hauliers during their later years.
One prolific operator of Scammell R8s was S Harrison Transport, later S Harrison & Sons (Transport) Ltd in 1955. “At one time they were running 22 examples, mainly on steel work out of the local mills,” Syd Harrison’s son Peter told me. “The best work was transporting crankshafts to Vauxhall and Ford car plants, although we also carried a lot of steel to the Black Country.” Most continued to work until the mid-1960s when artics became more cost-effective, though a few R8s remained in use until the early-1970s.
However, Syd Harrison would not throw anything away, so when
