Tag Archives: commercial vehicles

Tilling-Stevens Double Decker

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1922 Tilling-Stevens TS3A Open Top Double Deck Bus

Offered by Bonhams | Staplehurst, U.K. | June 14, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Thomas Tilling operated a very large horse-drawn omnibus service in London beginning in 1847. They built their first motor buses in 1911. W.A. Stevens invented a hybrid gas-electric bus and joined Tilling during the 1910s. That’s right, this thing is a hybrid.

This 1922 TS3A was a new model, replacing the original Tilling buses. The gas engine is a 5.7-liter straight-four making 40 horsepower (click here for some crazy technical details). The bus will seat 48 (22 inside and 26 outside).

Banfield rescued this thing from a scrapyard and began the restoration in 1972. It wasn’t finished until 2007. It is the last surviving example of a TS3A. If you’ve always wanted a red, London double-decker, here’s one of the first. It should sell for between $150,000-$190,000.

Update: Sold $367,295.

1918 Crossley Van

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1918 Crossley 20/25HP RFC Van

Offered by Bonhams | Staplehurst, U.K. | June 14, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This pretty delivery van is from U.K.-based Crossley Motors, which was in business from 1906 through 1958. When WWI started, Crossley turned almost all of their production solely toward the war effort. The van you see here is an RFC Van – it was used by the Royal Flying Corps – although its build date of 1918 suggests that it could have been surplus from the get-go.

The engine is a 4.5-liter straight-four making 20/25 horsepower. The 20/25 model was the longest-lived Crossley model, being produced from 1909 through 1925. This example is very nice. It can be yours for between $47,000-$54,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $89,729.

Garford Truck

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1919 Garford Model 25 Open Back

Offered by Bonhams | Staplehurst, U.K. | June 14, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

White tires on a commercial truck!? Are you crazy? I love it. Garford was an American truck company based in Elyria, Ohio (near Cleveland), that began production in 1909. In 1925, the company changed their name.

This was a truck that Garford sent to Europe during the War. It uses a 3.4-liter straight-four. The Model 25 was new for 1919 and this one is a driver. It should sell for between $37,000-$51,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $41,913.

ERF D16

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1942 ERF D16

For Sale at Hyman Ltd | St. Louis, Missouri

1942 ERF D16

I love that somebody took the time to restore this beautiful wartime truck. Most of these things were run into the ground and then parted out or left to rust. Instead, this example survived and was given a lot of love and care to make it truly fantastic.

Edwin Richard Foden designed an early steam truck in 1913 for his father’s company which had borne their family name since 1887 (the trucks (or “steam wagons”) are really cool looking and some still survive). Foden would continue building trucks through 2006. But Edwin, and his son Dennis, left the company in 1933 because they wanted to build diesel, not steam, powered trucks.

So Dennis founded E.R.F. (his father’s initials) in 1933 – an impressive feat given the economic depression that enveloped the world. The company would last through 2007 when corporate parent MAN AG shuttered the brand.

The model you see here was built during the war, making it even rarer – and even cooler as very few civilian (even though this is commercial) vehicles were constructed during that time. The engine is a 7.7-liter diesel straight-four that literally sits in the cabin between the two seats (albeit with a cover over it).

I’ve gotten the impression in the past that this dealership doesn’t like me posting their prices, so I’ll say the price is between $40,000 and $45,000. You can see more awesome pictures and more from Hyman Ltd. here.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Elkhart Collection, $20,160.

A Classic Bus

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1960 Flxible Starliner

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | August 29-September 1, 2013

1960 Flxible Starliner

So we just had two weeks of multi-million dollar feature cars. Yesterday was a bunch of farm equipment. And now a bus? Hear me out: a few months ago I had this idea that collecting buses would be really fun and interesting. Buses built prior to say, 1970, have really cool lines and designs. They are rolling examples of Americana.

So if you ever see a GM Scenicruiser come up for auction, you can count on me featuring it because that is my dream bus. Yes, I have a dream bus. Anyway, this bus was built by Flxible (yes, the “e” is missing on purpose – it was easier to trademark). In the 1950s, the company built some of the most classic American bus designs.

The Starliner was an intercity coach built from 1957 through 1967. 1960 was the first year for the flat-roof (earlier models had a window on the raised part of the back half of the roof). The engine is a rear-mounted (check out that giant air scoop on the back) 4.7-liter Detroit Diesel straight-four making 160 horsepower.

This bus is offered as “partially-restored” and there are a few detail items missing, but for the most part it is complete and is entirely usable. I can’t imagine how long it takes to restore a bus due to sheer size and especially one with intricate details. On the plus side, the interior is bus-like and has not been converted to a motorhome. Only 276 Starliners were built in 10 years of production, making them pretty rare. I have no idea what this should bring at auction, but I’m very interested because I still believe having an old bus like this would be really fun and interesting. Click here for more info and here for more from Auctions America in Auburn.

Update: Did not sell (high bid of $14,000)

Classic London Double Decker

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1962 AEC Routemaster

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Stoneleigh Park, U.K. | February 23, 2013

1962 Leyland Routemaster

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

There is something iconic about almost everything in London. The Taxis are like nowhere else in the world. The phone booths. And these wonderful, old double-decker buses. London Transport actually had a say in their design and they’ve become one of the many symbols of a great city.

These are big – it has seating for 57 passengers (25 downstairs and 32 up top). It’s powered by a 115 horsepower 6.9-liter diesel (though the catalog description lists it as a 9.8-liter as well). I was once standing near the exit of the All England Club in Wimbledon and a double-decker bus was coming up a short hill on the way out. A police officer told everyone to get out of the way because the under-powered bus could not stop once it started up the hill or it wouldn’t make it. Perhaps 115 horsepower isn’t quite enough for a 57-passenger bus – even if it is made of aluminium.

Of the 2,876 Routemasters built, about 1,280 still exist – which is a good survival rate for a vehicle that was meant to be used until there was nothing left. This bus was in service from 1962 until 2004 (which is crazy). This is a chance to own one of the most iconic vehicles of the U.K. It is expected to sell for between $31,000-$44,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Silverstone’s Race Retro & Classic Car Sale.

Update: Sold $31,460.

Vespa Ape

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1963 Vespa Ape Model C

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1963 Vespa Ape

Photo – RM Auctions

The iconic Vespa scooter was introduced by Piaggio in 1946. It was great for transporting people cheaply around the windy streets of Italy. It was not so great for transporting things. So Piaggio sent their designers back to the drawing board and in 1948 the Ape came to market. This Model C has an enclosed metal box at the rear and a bench seat up front. Payload was 770 pounds – about all the 5.8 horsepower 145.5cc single-cylinder can handle. The controls are still scooter-like and the rear box actually tips. It’s a useful little commercial vehicle. It should bring between $5,000-$10,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $25,300.

White M16 Half-Track

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1944 White M16

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

Here’s another good-lookin’ White half-track, this one an M16. The M16 was essentially an M3 (like the Autocar above) but it has a powered, armored turret with up to four .50 caliber machine guns. As with all of the items offered in this sale, the guns have been demilitarized – meaning, they no longer work as guns. But this is what makes something like this legal to own… and drive down the street. Engine-wise, this is powered by a 148 horsepower 6.3-liter straight-six. More here.

Update: Sold $95,000.

Update II: Sold, Auctions America Auburn Spring 2017, $82,500.

Walker Electric Delivery Van

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1909 Walker Model 15 Van

For Sale at Hyman Ltd | St. Louis, Missouri

Talk about aerodynamics having come a long way. You can tell this electric delivery van was designed for utility and not comfort because of the solid state tires and big square, featureless body. The entry door is located in a very Isetta-like front-of-the-vehicle position (there’s one at the rear too). How cool.

The Walker Vehicle Company of Chicago, Illinois began producing electric trucks such as this in 1907. They were convenient because they were quiet, easy to operate, and didn’t smoke up the already crowded and polluted streets of cities like New York, where this van was in the service of Hearn’s Department Store.

The van has a 3/4-ton load capacity and with a full set of charged batteries, it can hit speeds up to 15 mph with a range nearing 40 miles from the 3.5 horsepower rear-mounted motor. I’m sure 15 mph in this thing is plenty fast. The interior is immaculate for a 100+ year-old commercial vehicle with varnished wood and a fresh seat. As rare as early commercial vehicles are, early electric commercial vehicles are even rarer. And, strangely, there is at least one other 1909 Walker electric out there.

This one will set you back a hefty $99,500. For more information, click here.