Ford & Fordson (GB) - Danish Army Vehicles Homepage

Ford & Fordson (GB)

Ford´s UK truck manufacturing operation went under the name Fordson from 1933 - 1939, Fordson Thames from 1939 - 57 and Ford Thames from 1957 - 1965. Prior to 1929 assembling of Ford TT light trucks had taken place at the Trafford Park plant in Manchester, which opened in 1911.
In 1931 production was transferred to a new factory on the banks on the river Thames. The Thames name was adopted in 1939 to give the trucks a distinct British identity.
The first Fordson truck to appear in 1934 was a forward control 2 tonner. It was powered by a 3.6 liter V8, producing 85 bhp. The same unit which powered cars, trucks and Carriers during WW II. As well as the basic 4 x 2 version, there were 6 x 2 and 6 x 4 factory approved conversions, offered by County Commercial Cars Ltd. and capable of a payload up to 6 ton.
A normal control V8-engined truck, the Model 51, appeared in 1935. The forward-control range was enlarged with a new 4/5 ton model in 1939.
During WW II Ford built large number of light and medium military vehicles. These included 1½ ton 4 x 2, 1½ and 3 ton 4 x 4 and 3 ton 6 x 4.
Normal civilian production resumed in 1945 with forward-control 7V trucks in the 2 to 5 ton payload range.
Normal control trucks, the Fordson Thames ET6 and ET7 was launched in 1949. The ET6 was powered by the V8 petrol engine, while the ET7 had a Perkins P6 diesel. The new models covered a range similar to the 7V´s and included the County conversions.
The first Ford Thames was a semi forward-control model launched in 1957. There were six basic models for payloads between 1½ and 7 ton, and a tractor unit. Those up to 3 ton had the choice of a 4-cylinder petrol or diesel engine. Above that weight 6-cylinder engines were offered.
An improved Trader Mk II was introduced in 1962 for payloads up to 7 ton, and also included a 17 ton tractor unit. Also a normal-control Trader were available. After the Thames name was dropped in 1965, this truck became the K-series.
A D-series was introduced in 1965. Made in Henceforth the trucks were marketed simply as Ford.
Several new trucks were launched in the 1970´s, among them the Transcontinental. Although designed in GB, the trucks were produced at the Ford plant in Amsterdam.
Assembly of the Transcontinental was transferred to the Sandbach Engineering Co in 1981, where Paccar had spare capacity, but production finished all together in 1982.
Another major launch was the Cargo range in 1982, bringing Ford ahead of it´s traditional rival, Bedford.
In 1986 Ford sold it´s GB truck operations to IVECO, and the vehicles were marketed as IVECO Ford. After heavy losses the Langley plant closed in 1997, and the GB truck manufacturing was brought to an end.