Bob Carmichael’s 1973 Volvo F88 tractor and timber transport trailer was until mid-2023, almost certainly the oldest working lorry in Britain, writes Peter Simpson. It was no semi-preserved pet either. No, the F88 was Bob’s only lorry, and he used it whenever and wherever there was work for it. Bob’s base was near Stratford on Avon and his F88 was a pretty regular sight on and around the M40. It was also seen regularly as far afield as Lincolnshire, Essex and Hampshire. Basically, Bob went wherever there were felled tree trunks to be collected. He then loaded them, and took them to a sawmill for conversion into planks and so on.
To Bob though, the Volvo was always primarily about earned his living. It was therefore always the plan that when he retied, it would too. That time came in 2023. Bob had just turned 75, and took the Volvo, as he usually did, to the Classic & Vintage Commercial show at Gaydon. This time, however, it carried a large ‘For Sale’ sign. By happy co-incidence, 2023 was also the lorry’s 50th birthday year. But despite it being to him a tool of the trade, Bob wanted to find the right home for it.
Such a home has been found. ADH921L has been bought by Richard Turner, whose restored Volvo F7 is also on this website. It now lives in East Yorkshire. But unlike the F7, the F88’s post-working life in preservation is going to be based on conservation rather than restoration.
The story so far
ADH921L was new to Plant and Engineering at Colnbrook for low loader work including continental work. It changed hands in around 1983 after which it was used on timber work, and Bob was the main driver. At this stage however the lorry was owned by someone else, and Bob was an employed driver.
Three Parts…
When his employer ‘ceased trading’ in around 1988, Bob set up as an owner-driver. HE bought the Volvo along with the M & G Skeletal tri-axle trailer (also new in 1973) it worked with. The trailer, incidentally, had been with his former boss longer than the F88, and was previously paired with a 4×2 Volvo.
The third element of this combined unit is the Atlas timber crane that sits in the trailer and dates from around 1969. It is powered by a Fordson Major tractor engine.
Driven Daily
And from that point on, Bob drove the lorry, daily, and anywhere that the work took him. This could be anywhere from Cornwall to Scotland. On taking possession the Volvo would have been about 16 years old. Bob gave it a bit of a ‘refurb’ which included fitting a better replacement cab. That, though, is the only time that it’s been off the road for any significant time – it’s been too busy working! Bob always did everything himself.
The only thing he had help with was at MoT time, when he had someone else go through the lorry, just in case he’d missed something through familiarity. Bob probably had every component off for repair or renewal at some point. The whole drivetrain has been changed many times; Bob reckons it’s had at least eight good engines in during his ownership. However because he only way of telling fwhether a secondhand engine is serviceable is to fit it and drive it, he has also fitted and removed immeduiately many bad engines..
Fast Volvo
The current drivetrain comprises a 279bhp non-intercooled engine from a Volvo F10, an FL10 differential and a standard 16 speed F88 gearbox. This combination makes it capable of very interesting performance. And though Bob stuck to speed limits, he wasn’t afraid to ‘make progress’ when conditions allowed. Due to its age, the F88 doesn’t have, or need, a speed limiter.
Few other people ever drove Bob’s lorry and when they did so it didn’t generally end well. For example, one person who drove while Bob was ill blew the engine on the A14. Another was during the period when Bob was employed and on holiday and his boss recruited a fill in. Apparently it took Bob a fortnight to put right the damage the agency driver caused in a week.
Clearly, Bob and his Volvo were pretty-much a perfect match. He had the skill, knowledge and, just as important, the willingness to look after it, and keep an oldie going. The lorry is also sufficiently low-tech for owner-driver maintenance to be feasible; no electronics, no ABS and very little else that it doesn’t need.
Better than a new Volvo
It’s tempting to also think that the cost of a newer replacement was a consideration. It was, but a newer replacement wouldn’t have done the job as well. Forestry-type work involves off-road driving, and the F88, with its higher ground clearance could get into places that younger tractors would not. Plus of course the odd dent and scrape doesn’t really matter with a vehicle like this. In much the same way as many forest-based businesses retained WW2-era AEC Matadors Bob’s Volvo F88 could get to places few others could or would.
Seeing Bob work the complete ‘kit’ was also a sight to behold. It was also something I was privileged to witness back in 2015, at which point he was still doing 30-35,000 miles a year. First, I followed him for a few miles in my car; and no, he certainly didn’t hang about.
Thank you Driver!
But the most impressive part was unloading at the sawmill. To start the crane engine, he joined two wires together and then jiggled something, after which it burst into life. He then climbed up into the crow’s nest type position, and started lifting ttree trunks off, one by one. This takes a lot more skill than is apparent. Unlike, say, a concrete lintel or a length of pipe the weight of which is spread evenly, a tree trunk will be heavier at the bottom, and how the weight is spread elsewhere will vary a lot. Bob, however, knew what he was doing, and had the whole load off in less than 20 minutes. This allowed plenty of time for a brew with the sawmill proprietor. Who, although he’d clearly known Bob for ages, called him ‘Driver’ throughout their catch-up…
Anyway, in recent years Bob gradually did less work – entirely from choice. When he finally let it be known that he was retiring there was, unsurprisingly, significant interest in acquiring the lorry for ongoing preservation. Clearly though, the right home was important.
Eventually, Richard Turner secured a deal to buy the tractor and trailer, though there were conditions. In essence, Richard promised that Bob’s Volvo would be maintained mechanically and ‘conserved’ but not repainted, renovated or restored. Richard was happy with this; having completed his F7 to an exemplary standard he was, in his own words “‘sick to the back teeth of doing them up.” Since Richard and Bob have rbecome friends; Richard says of Bob “he’s the nicest bloke I’ve ever met.”
Safe and Reliable Volvo
Richard has done what has been needed to keep the Volvo safe, roadworthy and reliable, and had it MoT’d. Specifically, it’s had new tyres on the front and drive axle, new brake linings all round, a new nearside front wheel bearing, one air tank, new batteries and a new battery box floor. Plus of course a full and thorough service. More recently, the driver’s door window regulator failed, causing the window to fall into the door. Rather than try to source the actual Volvo replacement, Richard’s dad Alan modified one from a Riley 1.5 car.
To some, conservation may seem like an easy option compared to restoration, and the initial effort of keeping a lorry roadworthy but in as acquired condition is less than undertaking a full rebuild. But it still brings challenges, albeit slightly different. For starters, you always need to think about how you’re going to repair things that go wrong. If, for example, the alternator packs up, do you buy another or rebuild what you have? And what about corrosion – once metal starts rusting, the only way of stopping it is by cutting the rust out and letting in new metal. But how does that relate to the overall stated aim of conservation? Such decisions can only really be made on a case-by-case basis.
Back to work!
The biggest issue, however, is that when a vehicle that’s been active for a long time passes into preservation, things can start to seize up or deteriorate due to lack of use.
Richard has hit upon a rather novel solution to this, and one which he actually enjoys. He uses the Volvo. As part of the team at repair specialists Charlotte Bradley Transport, he frequently has to collect trailers for repair and test. These then need returning afterwards. 100mile round trips (one way solo, one with an empty trailer) aren’t as arduous as the Volvo’s previous working life of course. But this type of use is much better for the F88 than sitting unused. The longest run so far was a 250-mile trip to and back from Durham.
As it was
Richard reports that the Volvo drives exceptionally well, and sits comfortably at 60mph. What’s more, thanks to the gearing, it can maintain that speed even on modest inclines; all you do is drop a cog or two. The cab interior is 100% conserved and exactly as it was when Bob left it after his final drive; his reflective jacket is on the back seat, along with various tools and spare hydraulic pipes and so on.
So there we are. We at CVC wish Bob Carmichael a long and happy retirement. We understand this is going to be spent restoring an American car and looking after his tractor collection. Meanwhile, his Volvo F88 is in the best possible hands with a new owner who knows and understands exactly what this venerable icon needs to preserve it for future generations.
A pretty-much perfect outcome in other words.
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