cant remember the name but think it was same guy who had fleet of transcons he was one of last guys running them on general haulage in uk could of been chas something
These trucks used to be regular visitors to the UK in the eighties.
I have taken a chance and started a new topic so as not to swamp Trucker Ash’s 80’s one also some of the posts will be of the 70’s-90’s& even maybe the 00’s.
What I know of the KW’s ( and can remember) is this.
In about 1977 Dandos from Chipping Sodbury imported a Kenworth from Switzerland it was road tested by Truck Magazine about then, as far as I now it was new but why it came from Swiss I don’t know except that at that time I think Frederici were the Kenworth importers, I know Dandos became the European importers but Frederici could still import for themselves.
Dandos then imported a batch of RHD 4 wheelers with V6 Detroits these I think were South African spec models. I can’t remember how many probably about 6 or 10 most of these went to Whitwells on container work.They were painted red and white but painted Whitwells blue but one was cream and maroon this one was shown in the trade press (Truck Mag. or The Commercial Motor) in the late 70’s or early 80’s laid on its side in either Warwick Road or Earls Court Road London with a container on. This truck I think was then stretched and convert to a 6 wheeler by Dandos and fitted with a box body (reg LOU 555Y) there was a bit of a story involved that I am not sure about so I wont say any more, but Dandos then converted it into their own wrecker, this was the same one that could be seen parked outside of Presses in Avonmouth( Ray Stinchcombe foreman at Dandos and some mechanics moved to Press when Dandos stopped dealing in commercials.
They also imported 4 flat topped 6x4’s with V8 Detroits. One I know was bought by Gerry Holmes (reg DHW 665W) from the Bristol area. He was involved in taking relief stuff out to the Italian earthquake disaster. One I think went to John Yorkston-Paxton, I don’t know if he had it from new. I can’t remember at the moment who had the others.
In 1981/2 Dandos imported 2 6x4 Aerodyne KW’s with 350 ■■■■■■■■ These were specifically designed for 44 tonne operation to Euro spec, with British made engines 13 speed Fullers, Rockwell axles, Bendix Westinghouse brakes and Bosch / Hella electrics. One of these was put on contract immediately with British Aerospace carrying Concorde parts to Toulose. The other one I discovered when talking to Chris Wren their salesman ( I had bought my Crusader from them in 1973 or 4) was still in their yard in late 1984.
I decided to have a look at it but when I went they could not find it! By this time Gerry Holmes had sold his KW back to Dandos and the contract hire department put it on hire to Whitwills without telling the sales team( that caused abit of a panic!) as Gerry’s one had had a diff problem.Any way I put it on the road in the begining of Jan 1985 and kept it until Oct 1999.
Meanwhile the other one came off hire after 5 or 6 years and was bought by Bill Counsell in Bristol, he still has it although it has been off the road for many years.
As far as I know these are the only KW’s that they imported although Dandos told me that they had supplied KW’s elsewhere IIRC some were imported through Holland in part kit form for an oil contract somewhere.
Of the other KWs in the country most I think were imported by a man from either Barnstable or Bideford (cant remember his name) and his partner Toby Holland from Gillingham, Dorset ( last seen operating as Saxon Freight) most of the big cab KW’s were imported by them although there have been some private imports.
I hope this is of interest, if so I will post some pics.
Gavin
The Paccar built Fodens used Kenworth aluminium chassis cross members, they were stamped KW. There was talk of more of the American influence but it never materialised. Sorry to hijack your post by the way Gavin!!
Pete.
Apologies Gavin, I have just added some comment on the Trucking in the 1980s thread, I would love to know what happened to the two K100s from near me in 1976, and also the one Ruttles Plant had. I know that one of the recovery companies down in north kent had a bonnetted Aerodyne wrecker as well
Great thread pics please 
One of my drivers Paddy Keoghan had a Kenworth
Here pulling a Henry Tyrer Trailer
Here how it ended up
I think he may have had another that he did middle east with I believe it broke down and was towed along way but ran into the back of the trailer it was behind. I will try to speak to him about it may even get some pics
Regards Pat
Hereis my 3 penath…Whitwills ran 5 KWs all supplied by Dandos
they were
FHT332W
DHW665W ex Gerry Holmes
HHW889X
KOU40X
LOU555Y
Sorry to out the anorak on lads
Marc
Ok then heres a few more,these are what became of some of the Whitwills ones.
FHT had a stint on British Aerospace
She grew another axle and went to school
DHW after Gerry Holmes had used it prior to going to Whitwills.
DHW parked at Dandos
DHW on for Floods Plant
KOU in Harvey Internationals colours
LOU in Dandos colours,it had another axle shoved up its backside an ran as a unit then got stretched as Gavin said and ran as a 6 wheel rigid.l got pics of it like that but l cant put them on here.
Marc
Firstly big slap on the leg for Marc 
.l put Whitwills KW as KOU but its KEU…what a Plonker l am …well it is the early hours.
Ok some more KWs supplied by Dandos.
l believe XOU was the first KW of Goldings
EFB was a used 1 before John had it,it first appeared with brown stripes and did fridge work
ETC383W with its first user
ETC used by unknown.
ETC as Dandos wrecker
EFB502W on for Tony Morgan…this 1 is the J,Y,Paxton one
OEU315Y on for Aerospace
OEU in the owner drivers possession
EHU940W on for west mids excavation
EHU on for Ruttles
OHW on display in Sophia Gardens Cardiff
Cheers Marc
Thanks Marcus brilliant better than the couple of pics I had found out .
Do you sleep.
This is my minor contribution, Tebay services late 70s I think, guess which was mine 
:
Made the above comment before studying the picture so it would be early 1980 because that’s my Daf.
Gavin
I have a pic of Yorksons-Paxton with his wagon drinking tea next to my Trailer
cant think where it was taken trying to put it up
Roger
gavin
How the hell do u post pics not very good with the PC give me an engine
and strip it put it in a box shake it give it back in 10.000 pieces and I will
assemble it sad old me
Roger
Going to slightly hijack this thread (sorry) but what is it that the ex boxer and Brighton resident Chris Eubank drive around in ■■ Yeah I know “poser” !!
Also does anyone remember an O/D from Epping way who had a White ? I believe his colleague was killed when his truck overturned at or near Chambery !!
Big Leegy,
Eubank had a Peterbilt tractor unit, that was involved in a little altercation in Brighton. He also used it in supporting a variety of causes he was interested in!!
There used to be a blue KW that one of John Mann’s subbies used to run to morocco in the late 90’s. It was a 6x4.
I seem to remember it also apperared in a LDD type article in one of the mags at the time.
It had the name Chris Johnson on it who I think was lincolnshire based and had a few trucks on for JM.
I met the driver on the cherbourg boat a few times and I’m sure he said it came from John Golding.
It had a long sleeper, long enough for a double matress, but a flat roof with an air kit. The driver said his boss was trying to source an aerodyne roof for it but if he did I never saw it.
Cheers
Neilf
sinbin31:
gavinHow the hell do u post pics not very good with the PC give me an engine
and strip it put it in a box shake it give it back in 10.000 pieces and I will
assemble it sad old meRoger
Hi Roger I struggled to post pics until I printed ainacs (Pat Duffy’s) instructions at the top of the index page. Good luck! I met J-Y-P in Greece a few times, I think he was unhappy cos I had an aerodyne.
Please feel free to post pics and corrections e.g. I see I was wrong about the converted 6 wheeler being made into a wrecker although I have been convinced up to now that that was the case! Too many years and too much diesel!
There are some good pics of U.S.A. trucks in Jan 2009 edition of Classic & Vintage Commercials.
Before I bought mine it went to an American Circus ( I think) sort of a Kids From Fame thing I remember Chis Wren saying something about it they also had some Bedfords (I think Dandos were Bedford sub-agents) it turned out to be a bit of a con job and Dandos had to repossess them. That is probably why mine was shown in the circus shot.
Anyone got any shots of the wreckers from out in the sticks near Paddockwood area? I can’t remember the chaps name though I know him!
Gavin
Hi Pat as you can see from the times I’ve got no work to-day and the wife has gone out leaving me in peace! Thanks for the pics. I met the ‘mad paddy’ a few times, quite a character isn’t he■■?
Do you have any pics showing the no. plate of the ECT KW? Thats another name I have asked about in Southampton but no-body seemed to know anything about, ( boys they can only go back 10 years!! that’ll stir 'em up!)I just realised one day that they had disappeared
Gavin