Photo above): The Austin FE truck already looked sad because of the hanging windscreens. As a lover of British heritage you get sad when you see this copy ...
If you have been around for a while in this life, you will probably remember the Austin FE, an 5-ton truck. At the end of the fifties it was a much used workhorse in the then daily traffic. Powered by a loyal six-cylinder, almost 3 liter gasoline engine - they were also available with a diesel engine - such a thing dragged its loads through the country. And far beyond.
The import of this British fine goods was in those years in the hands of the company RS Stokvis & Zonen in Rotterdam. Because of the position of the front windows, such a truck always had something sad about it? We also became a bit sad when we saw the copy shown here. After a working life, he was discarded by his boss in Abergavenny, UK - the gateway to Wales and known for, among other things, Marty Wilde's song from the mid-275s - and parked in his 'yard'. It drives well and is still in good condition. And only because the then dealer did not want to give a good trade-in price… He stood there for decades. Time did not pass by this elderly person either. Not even to the owner. Shortly before our 'passage', he had 'excavated' the device from the now extensive 'forest', but decided to give this British heritage one more chance before making the decision to entrust it entirely to the 'good care' of a local Oud IJzer specialist… While we are talking and taking some pictures, the deal is closed. For £ XNUMX a new owner was found who could use various parts in the restoration of his FE… Still a good end ?!
