This month’s cover-feature restoration is remarkable on four counts. The first is obvious from the photos – this 1980 Ford D-Series 7½ tonner is an extremely high-quality job and absolutely stunning. It’s also all the more remarkable as this is the owning family’s first-ever lorry restoration.
Now, just take a look at the inset photo – this one was Bad with a capital B when they started! But there’s a fourth aspect of this project, and this one which is really the key to the other three, and the reason why this particular lorry, despite being in scrap condition when bought, wasrestored, over 12 years, into the splendid example that we see today.
But to find out more, we need to first look at a little family history, a history that this lorry is a significant part of.
Surrey Success
Back in 1951, Robert Exall started a gardening and landscaping business catering for the well-to-residents of the Surrey/Sussex commuter belt around the Godstone and Godalming areas. By a combination of hard work and business acumen he built a strong and solid family business which is still thriving 71 years on. It’s still
