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SEDDON, Oldham, England
A late starter in UK truck manufacture the
company of Foster & Seddon was formed in 1938 at Salford in
Lancashire. Initially
hauliers and truck agents who saw the potential for a low weight
diesel truck that could weigh under 2
½ tons unladen which would exempt the vehicle from the 20 mph
restrictions then in force.
Their
brainchild was the Mk5, powered by a Perkins P6 diesel and capable
of carrying a 6-ton payload. The popularity of the Mk 5 influenced
the move to bigger premises at Woodstock in Oldham near Manchester.
Seddon was one of the pioneers in the use of fiberglass in its cab
and bodywork; cabs were built by a subsidiary called Pennine Coach
Craft. Seddon also
generated a good export trade with vehicles going to Europe Central
and South America and the Far East.
A
complete range was developed from lightweight to maximum weight
vehicles of all configurations; the cabs were stylish for the time
and have stood the test of time.
The 8-wheeler range was discontinued in 1964 to concentrate
on artics from 28 to 32 tons. The heaviest of these was the 32/4,
powered by a Gardner 6LXB or Rolls 220, the cabs were made by Motor
Panels and the vehicles were very popular with many hauliers
including BRS. This vehicle range was to be the last true Seddon.
In
1970 Seddon’s acquired Atkinson Vehicles of Preston and by 1974
both the current Seddon and Atkinson models were phased out to be
replaced by a new Seddon-Atkinson range of vehicles.
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