AEC's Blue Triangle symbol [© AEC Ltd] is reproduced by kind permission of The British Commercial Vehicle Museum Trust.
  AUSTRALIAN BONNETED AECs  
I am grateful to Andrew Blacklock for supplying these pictures of AECs belonging to members of the
Hunter Valley Classic Commercial Vehicle Club, New South Wales
and the Heritage Truck Association of Queensland.
C L I C K   A   T H U M B N A I L   F O R   A   L A R G E R   I M A G E
Bonneted Mk III AECs (234k) Hunter Valley AECs (195k)
Chassis Nos* 2472 003 (left)   2472 004 (right)
The first Hunter Valley Vintage Truck Muster at Swansea, NSW, was held on October 22/23 2005 and was organised by the Hunter Valley Classic Commercial Vehicle Club. The truck on the left is ex-Newcastle Haulage and has been restored by owner Glen Richards. Newcastle Haulage used to be owned by R.W. Brown, the local AEC dealer located at Broadmeadow in Newcastle.

Glen's truck is shown on the cover of the October 2005 AEC Society Gazette prior to repaint.

The bonneted truck is described in the Gazette as a Mammoth Major, but it is an export model Matador Mk III similar to the Banoon truck which had travelled to the Swansea Truck Muster from Brisbane, some 1000Km away.

The ex-Melbourne "Bobtail" AEC Regal III with bodywork by Commonwealth Engineering owned by Joe Fogarty has been converted to a mobile home, and re-engined with a Leyland 0680 Power Plus.

Joe’s bus still runs with the Wilson preselective gearbox and worm drive differential uprated with a higher ratio final drive. It's fitted with twin AEC fuel tanks & additional air tanks (from another AEC bus), air driver's seat and exhaust brake, tow bar, rear exhaust stack, and a bull bar off an AEC truck. The tow pin has an AEC part number stamped into it.

Joe tows a small tri axle trailer (fitted with air brakes) behind the bus with a Ford WW2 Jeep on the back - about 2T in weight.

*Nominally Mandators, exported Mk III type 2472s were badged as Matadors.
Acknowledgement
Many thanks to Andrew Blacklock


vangastow@aecsouthall.co.uk