The Diamond T tank transporter

This is the story of Britain’s second-generation tank transporter, the Diamond T; a vehicle offering power, torque, reliability and good looks!

The latest in Kelsey’s exciting new tank-transporter series spotlights the Diamond T Model 980, 981, a truck that offered almost everything… power, torque, reliability and good looks! By the time production ended in May 1945, more than 2,000 of these tough vehicles had been delivered to the British Army. What’s more, even after deliveries of the Antar started in 1951, the Diamond T continued to provide valuable service, with some examples serving for another 30 years.

After being demobbed, many of these vehicles enjoyed equally-long second careers with heavy-haulage operators, such as Wynns, who had 30, and Pickfords, who operated 12, with plenty more in service up and down the land. These mighty trucks were often asked to move enormous – almost impossible – loads from factory to dockside or power station.

To give you a feel for the sort of work they did in civvy street, one occasion involved a convoy of five Pickfords’ Diamond Ts that moved a gross load of 245 tons (250 tonne) from Sheffield to the Liverpool Docks. And when this career came to a close, military-vehicle enthusiasts rushed to snap up these old warriors, restoring them to better-than-new condition.

This new, 100-page publication – another in the Military Trucks Archive – is packed with more than 180 rare images and enough factual information to keep even the keenest enthusiast happy. You can order you copy for just £8.99, simply by clicking here.