Malcolm Harrison’s Northwest Vintage Auction

David Reed reports from the successful, at which some interesting commercial vehicles were sold.

Many eyes from the commercial world were focussed on Kelsall in Cheshire recently, for Malcolm Harrison’s Northwest Vintage Auction, which took place on September 18^th and was hosted by Geoff and Marie Newsome, at the home of the famous Kelsall Rally. Almost 50 commercials went under the hammer.

With auctioneers Charlie Foyle and Tony Travis guiding the bidders through the various lots, one of the first items to be sold was an Ergomatic cab. It did extremely well, selling for £3,000. There were mixed fortunes for the commercials, though, with some failing to meet their reserves and remaining unsold.

Among the stand-out sellers was a newly-restored, 1956 Leyland Comet 4×2 tipper. This vehicle spent its working life in the Blackpool area delivering sand and, with a recorded mileage of 63,067 and excellent all-round condition, it sold for £9,250. In equally good condition was a 1973 Scammell Handyman 4×2 tractor unit, that was new to Powys County Council where it hauled a low-loader. Fitted with a Gardener 6LXB 180 engine and six-speed overdrive gearbox, it made £10,250.

Geoff Newsome himself had a few vehicles in the sale, also all in excellent condition. Of these, there was a 1979 Leyland Boxer 4×2 fitted with a Crumps hardwood livestock body. After being used in a naval dockyard, this vehicle ended up being kept in a garage with a cherry picker on the back, and sold at this sale for £12,000. A 1979 Bedford TK1260 4×2, fitted with a Body Craft livestock body made the same money, while a 1968 Seddon 13.4.354 4×2 dropside tipper went for £8,200.

However, those prices were all beaten by a 1973 AEC Mercury which had worked for Axminster Carpets before eventually ending up on the fairgrounds. Geoff bought the Mercury as ‘a load of scrap’ in 2009 for restoration, and it found a new home for £16,250.

Other vehicles that sold included a series of tippers, one being a 1975 Leyland Clydesdale 4×2 dropside, described as having never been used on the road. Instead, it worked on the old Iron Bridge Power Station site, possibly being used to move coal, and it fetched £10,250. A 1957 Albion Reiver 6×4 dropside tipper with Homalloy body (minus its propshaft) sold for £5,750.

Looking to be in original condition was a 1966 Commer TS3 two-stroke 6×4 tipper that was reported as being exhibited at the Scottish Motor Show when new. It got a lot of attention at the sale due to its authentic look, and went for £2,500.

But most comments were about an ERF 4×2 recovery vehicle that was built at Sun Works for internal use as a one-off vehicle. It’s believed to have been fitted with Harvey Frost lifting gear, and a body being built by Jennings, after being designed by workshop manager, J Henshall. The ERF had that wonderful ‘worked in’ look, and was described as still being a runner after a period of storage in a shed. Unfortunately, though, it failed to sell when bidding fell short of its reserve.

All-in-all, it was an interesting and well-attended sale, with online bidding also taking place. And for those entries that hadn’t met their reserves and were only provisionally sold, many will have found a new home after some negotiations shortly afterwards.

 

OTHER SALE HIGHLIGHTS

1994 Scania 93M 250 4×2 tractor unit                           £5,250

2006 Foden Alpha 420 6×2 mid lift tractor unit          £4,750

1973 Scammell Handyman 4×2 tractor unit                 £10,250

1994 Volvo FL7 4×2 310 tractor unit                              £4,800

Leyland Comet 4×2 tipper                                                £9,250.

1968 Dodge 4×2 K1050 dropside tipper                       £7,000

1979 Leyland Boxer 4×2 livestock rigid                        £12,000.

1979 Bedford TK1260 4×2 livestock rigid                    £12,000.

1968 Seddon 13.4.354 4×2 dropside tipper                 £8,200

1972 Leyland AEC Mercury dropside tipper              £16,250

1955 Albion Chieftain 4×2 flat 28,109m                      £4,750

1957 Albion Reiver 6×4 dropside tipper                      £5,750

1975 Leyland Clydesdale 4×2 dropside tipper           £10,250

1966 Commer TS3 two-stroke 6×4 tipper                  £2,500

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