AEC's Blue Triangle symbol [© AEC Ltd] is reproduced by kind permission of The British Commercial Vehicle Museum Trust.
ABOUT A.E.C.
The Associated Equipment Company Limited evolved from the merger in 1908 of the London Motor Omnibus Co Ltd - which ran its "Vanguard" buses on services in the capital from their works at Walthamstow - and the mighty London General Omnibus Co Ltd.
London's bus chassis of the early 20th Century were mainly imported and the enlarged L.G.O.C. built bus chassis to its own design at Walthamstow Works. The L.G.O.C. was taken over by the Underground Electric Railways Co of London Ltd and in 1912 the Underground separated off the chassis-building activities to form the Associated Equipment Co Ltd.
A.E.C. and the Daimler Co Ltd merged in 1926 to form the short-lived Associated Daimler Co Ltd, coinciding with construction of the new works at Southall, west of London. The first Southall chassis were completed in early 1927 and over the next fifty-two years A.E.C. were leaders in the highly competitive field of commercial and passenger vehicle manufacture, responsible for classics such as the MATADOR artillery tractor, the REGAL, REGENT and RELIANCE series of passenger chassis, the MAMMOTH MAJOR, MANDATOR and MERCURY heavy goods chassis, and such legendary diesel-engines as the 7.7, 8.8, 9.6, 11.3 and 12.4 litre types.
Many thousands of buses, lorries, dump trucks and chassis for fire appliances were built for loyal customers at home and overseas. A.E.C. engines were also used in many other makes of chassis, and there were military, marine and industrial engine applications too.
Another merger in 1948 combined A.E.C., Crossley Motors Ltd and the Maudslay Motor Co Ltd to form the Associated Commercial Vehicles Co Ltd.  A.C.V. acquired Park Royal Vehicles Ltd and PRV subsidiary Charles H Roe Ltd in 1949, and Transport Equipment (Thornycroft) Ltd in 1961.
The merger with Leyland Motors Ltd in 1962 would be the last. Double deck bus production ceased with the last ROUTEMASTER and REGENT V types built in 1968. The ailing British Leyland Motor Corporation was nationalised in 1974 and Southall's stay of execution lasted another five years until 25th May, 1979 when the final MARATHON goods chassis came down the production line and the works was closed down.
But thanks to the preservation movement, a great number of A.E.C.s can be seen, heard and, in some cases, ridden on, at rallies and special services all over the UK, and overseas in Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Holland and the USA.
ABOUT NEIL FRASER  (Webmaster)
I was born in Southall, Middlesex, in 1958, not far from Windmill Lane, the home of A.E.C. from 1926 until 1979. As a boy I would walk or cycle around the whole perimeter of the works trying to get a look inside - there was always something new and exciting to see parked on the works drive, or on display in the showroom. I was taken to A.E.C. open days and I remember marvelling at giant yellow dump trucks and odd-looking left hand drive buses, and in the month of December we would drive past the works to look at the Christmas tree lights along Windmill Lane.
Although we moved to North London in 1972 I would often go back to Southall and visit my old haunts, as I still do. I didn't work at A.E.C., nor do I own a preserved vehicle (one day, maybe ...) but my interest in A.E.C. is as strong as ever.
ABOUT THIS WEBSITE
In 1999 the A.E.C. Society appealed for someone to design a website for them. I had been thinking about how best I could share my own photos, but although I didn't have a computer, and had no idea how to make a website, I decided to have a go anyway!  I bought the computer and one or two internet-for-dummies books, and by April 2000 I'd managed to launch this website, which initially consisted of photos I had taken myself at various rallies and at Southall Works after it had closed.
I quickly discovered that Eric & Josh Hayles had beaten me to it with aecsociety.com. They had done a great job but I decided I would continue developing and improving this website. It has since been considerably enhanced by the many great pictures generously contributed by A.E.C. enthusiasts.  The webpages are written in html with no wizards. Images are edited using Photoshop 6 and the entire website is currently 175mb.
If you would like to have your photos of A.E.C.s published on this website please email vangastow@aecsouthall.co.uk
I hope you enjoy looking around. Please visit my Classic Commercial Motor Vehicle gallery before you go - AECs now being added!
WWI AEC Y type
AEC Y Type, Mesopotamia, 1917-18
Maudslay Mogul Mk IIIA MYF974
Maudslay at Canvey 14/10/07
Chassis Inspection, photos by Geoff Rixon
Chassis Inspection
1962
Geoff Rixon
Works Transport, photos by Robert Smith
Works Transport
1969
Robert Smith
Southall Works after closure, 1979-86
After closure
1979-86
Photos by RM1000 Group
Collecting RM1000
1987
RM1000 Group
Return to Southall, 1988
Return to Southall
26.06.88
Kelvin Curtis
Former Spares Dept, 2000
The old Spares Dept
2000
Lyndhurst Avenue access, 2000
Tunnel access
2000
Click here for illustrated list of AEC chassis types

AEC Demonstrators

AECs
On test


AEC Matador

AEC
Matador


Regent III Fire Appliances [slide by Mike Cotton]

Regent III
Appliances


LT's RLH Class AEC Regents

Regent III
LT's RLHs


A.C.L.O. Buses of Northern Spain

North Spain
A.C.L.O.s


AEC Diesel Shunter

AEC Diesel
Shunter


AEC Routemaster

AEC / PRV
Routemaster


Rainham Yards

Rainham
Yards


Duxford's AECs

Duxford's
AECs


HCVA Bus & Truck Museum, Tempe

Tempe
Museum


AEC Rally, Newark Showground, 27th May 2001

Newark
Rally 2001


AEC Rally, Newark Showground, 26th May 2002

Newark
Rally 2002


AEC Rally, Newark Showground, 3rd August 2003

Newark
Rally 2003


AEC Rally, Newark Showground, 30th May 2004

Newark
Rally 2004


RM50 July 24/25 2004

"RM50"
July 2004


Cobham Open Day 03.04.05

Cobham
03.04.05


AEC Rally, Wollaton Park, 5th June 2005

Nottingham
Rally 2005


Hunter Valley AECs by Andrew Blacklock

Andrew
Blacklock


Lorry photos by Gyles Carpenter

Gyles
Carpenter


AEC photos by Dave Chalker

Dave
Chalker


London Bus photos by Derek Freeman

Derek
Freeman


City of Oxford photos by Barry Hitchcox

Barry
Hitchcox


Driving AECs in NSW

Kevin
McGrath


Photos by Peter Newman

Peter
Newman


Photos by John Law

Various
in colour


AEC Regent V photos by John Law

Regent V
1955-1968


AEC Reliance photos by John Law

Reliance
1955-1963


AEC Reliance photos by John Law

Reliance
1964-1967


AEC Reliance photos by John Law

Reliance
1968-1979


AEC Swift photos by John Law

Swift
1967-1973


Various B/W

Various
b & w


B/W Regent Vs

Regent V
1956-1966


B/W Swifts

Swift
1968-1976

Click here for links to more AEC related websites Click here for the best places to see AECs in 2005 Click here for a listing of essential AEC reading matter
Click here for slide show presentations Click here for the site archive


AEC 4 Wheel Lorries

AEC
4-Wheelers


AEC 6 Wheel Lorries

AEC
6-Wheelers


AEC 8 Wheel Lorries

AEC
8-Wheelers


AEC Regent

AEC
Regent


Hong Kong AEC Regent V

Hong Kong
Regent V


AEC Regal

AEC
Regal


AEC Merlin & Swift [slide by Mike Aldron]

AEC Merlin
& Swift


London Transport Service Vehicles

LT Service
Vehicles


Tilt Cab AECs

Tilt Cab
AECs


Dumptruks Unearthed

Dumptruks
Unearthed


Blue Steel Carrier

Blue Steel
Carrier


Dutch Regals by Jan Emmelkamp

Jan
Emmelkamp


Photos by Cliff Essex

Cliff
Essex


AEC Society Southern Rally

Southern
Rally


Hertford Bus Rally

Hertford
Bus Rally

© Neil Fraser  MMXII All webpages written in NoteTab