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Owen Owen/Louis Reece,Fruit Market

15 Comments

Leyland Super Comet
Leyland Super Comet
Photo: Ray Smyth
Views: 4,988
Item #: 28255
Louis Reece (Formerly Owen Owen) Lorry,
At the Wholesale Fruit Market,Worthington Way.
Photo, Late 60s.

Comment by: DerekB on 21st August 2016 at 14:06

This model had the tilt cab for easy access to the engine - innovative for it's time and before Leyland lost it's way on being merged with BMC.

Comment by: Colin Harlow on 21st August 2016 at 17:21

The Leyland super comet was introduced in 1964, it had the Ergomatic tilt cab. It was years ahead of it's time, and even today looks good.

Comment by: Garry on 21st August 2016 at 17:53

Leyland AEC was the same cab.

Comment by: AB on 21st August 2016 at 19:31

The first Comet was produced immediately after the war and Named after the Comet tanks built by Leyland during the war and was. the first Leyland model not named after an animal I started my apprenticeship there at that time

Comment by: JJP on 22nd August 2016 at 07:12

Good photo Ray, just after this was taken I drove vehicles with the Ergomatic cab, a Albion 4 wheel rigid that could startle pigeons and leave them for dead, and a AEC Mandator with a very troublesome 680 engine, it spent more time in the workshop with its cab tilted than being driven.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 22nd August 2016 at 08:46

Not quite right, AB - there were deckers dating from pre-war called Leviathan, Titan and Titanic.

Comment by: AB on 22nd August 2016 at 09:58

Rev.You are right I remember the Titan. Incidently. Morrisons store in Leyland Is built on the site of The Comet Shop and various pictures of Leyland Vehicles are displayed there, including a Wigan Corporation Bus

Comment by: Ray on 22nd August 2016 at 11:42

Hi JJP, Re your Mandator comments,I didn't know that they
had a 680 under the bonnet,the 680 was as far as I recall
a Leyland "Power Plus". The only Mandator that I drove had
the AEC AV760,It was for Robert Baillie,Ex Percy Powell,
Horndean, Hampshire. For some more Owen Owen/Louis Reece,
have a look at "Louis Reece Pictures" on TrucknetUK.
Regards,Ray.

Comment by: Colin Harlow on 22nd August 2016 at 12:48

I agree with Ray JJP, the Leyland and the AEC had identical cabs only one or two differences ie front indicator lamps and emblems. Leyland 680 was indeed the power plus series and AEC had their own 760 engines fitted, the AV 760s could shift with the 12 speed box.

Comment by: Colin Harlow on 22nd August 2016 at 12:59

When these cabs were tilted, the steering wheel, dash and seats stayed fixed to the chassis, unlike todays modern cabs were everything in the cab tilted together as one unit. We ran a 1966 tractor unit with the Leyland 680 eng and a 1966 four wheeler rigid with 400 eng. both cabs were identical.

Comment by: DerekB on 22nd August 2016 at 14:05

I joined what was then Shell Mex & B.P. in 1969 at the then newly opened Haydock storage and distribution terminal. We had approx. 100 vehicles and 99% were from the Leyland group i.e. Leyland, A.E.C., Albion and Scammell and the situation was the same throughout the Shell-Mex and B.P.fleet nationally. Leyland Trucks went into a downward spiral following the forced merger with BMC which deprived it of R&D funds whilst money was funnelled into the already doomed car division. The likes of Scania, M.A.N then started appearing on the scene.

Comment by: Garry on 22nd August 2016 at 14:50

No DerekB it wasn't that at all. It was because of the euro, look at the cars we now have. It's not only trucks.
Thing is Leyland can't/couldn't compete with the likes of Scania, Daf and Volvo, sad really but true.

Comment by: JJP on 22nd August 2016 at 18:52

Hi Ray and Colin, you are probably right about the engine not being a 680 but I always believed it to be, head gaskets being the main culprit. I rarely drove the Mandator due to it being so troublesome, we also had `BMC Mastiff with Perkins V8 150 bhp better known as BMC Misfits by the boys.

Comment by: Ray on 23rd September 2022 at 14:37

I am aware that this picture and others of the Owen Owen/Louis Reece
pictures of lorries have been on here before. I have been contacted again
by a gentleman from Kent whose father drove this lorry. He is trying to
raise interest locally from the former Owen Owen/ Louis Reece staff and
would appreciate if any Owen Owen/Louis Reece staff who were based
at the company at Worthington Way, Wigan had any pictures and info
regarding their time with the company, and we would be greatful.

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