The Leyland Laird and Mastiff artics that I drove when I first passed my Class 1 in 1971 would do about 62 flat out pulling a 13ft 6in high box van trailer, as long as you didn’t have any sort of wind blowing (unless it was a tail wind when they would struggle up to 65 ). Later on in 1975 the firm I worked for had a Bedford TK rigid with a fairly tall box body on it and that would do almost 70mph. It was always an ambition of mine to pass one of the Standerwick double deck buses which used to run up the M6 towards Liverpool in the 70’s but I never ever came close to doing so, they used to blow me into the weeds when they went past. I reckon they must have been cruising along at 80mph at least, they even went past the Paddy wagons! 
I had a Kew Dodge tractor in the 60s with a Perkins 6354 engine and axle
splitter that comfortably did 75 down the M1 (perfectly legal) with a 4-in-line
28ft trailer loaded with asphalt blocks. Can’t remember what the max weight
was in those days but with blocks on it must have been fully freighted and I
don’t remember having any problems on the banks.
I spent most of the trip in the 3rd lane (also legal) and the only wagons I
moved over for (occasionally) were those black removal vans of Hadfields of
Ashton under Lyme.
Transcontis and Volvo 88 290s would ‘go round the clock’ no probs in the 70s (I know the ones I used did) I had a 1975 Atky 250 ■■■■■■■ 75+, and also a B series ERF 265 roller 70+ I also had a 1989 E series ERF 320 ■■■■■■■ which would top the clock. Around about 1962/3 Leyland brought out the LAD cabbed Badger which, according to the boss was allegedly guaranteed by Leyland to do 70+ (Can anyone verify this?) I drove it a few times and it was a ‘flyer’ These were all fully freighted too.
I can vouch for the Transconti and an ERF “C” series I had well over 70mph and also an AEC Mercury 4-wheeler earlier in the 60’s was a real racing pigeon catcher.
There didn’t seem to be any end to what the Transconti could do,but owt over 70 and the drag on the back used to start swaying 
.I did once pass one of Wallace Arnold’s coaches one night on the 62 'cos the load of women on board were mooning and flashing their mammaries at me at the top of Saddleworth.
Just wanted another look so I let the Ford have her head and frightened mesen to death down that bank.
My dad had an ERF A series with a 220 ■■■■■■■ that used to do about 75mph (hard to see with the vibrations) .
At 75mph used to spit flames out the front mounted exhaust which was great at night
a berliet i drove around 82/83 would go off the clock and climb up hills at speed as well
i was clocked by a mate doing 75 on the A1 in it.
my F10 probably did the same but it never felt as fast as the berliet.
its never been the same since i got a FL10 new on an L plate, that was my 1st ever new motor and the 1st one that was limited and i hated it with a passion, it seemed so slow, it spent most of the 3 years i had it with the limiter fuse out
Most off these trucks pre limiter days could fly,the f88s would do 80mph na bother but no one ran at that speed due to fuel consumsion at about 4 mile to the gal and you could not stop them with the crap brakes also blowin tyres out.
I was happy to run away at 60 mph all day,also the police were more of a presence then so you had to watch it.
The worst offenders for speeding were the overnight parcels drives who had no weight on board, there and back whoosh and finish ,firms like lynx and them pink ones i can not remember there name.
Thats the reason why we have limiters today as no one today can stick to a speed limit, plus the euro legislation 
The pink ones were Elan I think Klunk
The pink ones were Independant Express, had Think Pink on the back of the trailers, they got taken over by Tuffnells in the 80s & your right they did jog on, I did a Belvedere to Haydock trunk for them in a bright pink 321 MAN & my record was 3hrs 25mins door to door, 750kms every night so you couldn’t hang around.
i used to do Leeds to Glasgow and back, five nights a week, when i worked for Bibby distribution. The company had started phasing out its fleet of leyland roadtrains and replacing them with sed atki strato’s, the first one’s were F reg, all were fitted with speed limiters from then on, so i was happier taking the old leylands on the night-trunks, 2032 ■■■■■■■■ or 2034 roller’s,rarely had more than 12 ton’s on either way so i could tram on at a fair old rate of knots. i used to try getting tucked in behind the Dukes transport lads, on the A74, They always knew where plod was likely to be hiding…happy days…in summer, anyway.
When I was promoted from a Gardner 180 Atki to a DAF 2600,I went from a sedate 50 mph to a flying 75 mph,what a motor!
Transcons 70+ 190-48s 70 plus 290 88s 70 + all thirsty thou and couldnt keep the tyres on the trailers had a foden s41 and changed the diff it done 18 mph when we got it as it was a airport refueler put a diff in out of a 8 wheeler and it was fastest truck ive ever drove had to aim it where you wanted it to go all those old brits went couldnt beat a ■■■■■■■ fuller rockwell in my opinion only had everything else because they had no backup
Found this pic on Toprun of A Frederici Kenworth just check out the tacho.
120kms 2100rpm
I’m not saying that any of us would have done it, but the F90 MAN,s limiter, which was set at 70, could be overcome by adjusting all the play out of the throttle cable, then if you booted the throttle hard it would click past the limiter somehow, it was great because the fitters werent aware at all.
The best i’ve seen (alleged) was cruising at 95, now i can’t imagine anyone doing so.
Job i was on at the time though we were panicking for a while as abbey hill had just been nicked big time over tacho evidence 
Seddon atki 401 with 320 ■■■■■■■ would do 90 apparently. 
Also had a crusader once where the hub reduction axle went west, no change there then, and our mechanic (do you remember proper mechanics), souced and fitted a rockwell axle out of a transconti.
I used to have a lot of fun changing up into top at 75. 
bestbooties:
When I was promoted from a Gardner 180 Atki to a DAF 2600,I went from a sedate 50 mph to a flying 75 mph,what a motor!
wilds!!!.did’nt they have the depot in altrincham the rear of a garage ?
Back in the sixties can remember my father having a Bedford TK artic with a flat trailer the speedo (no tacho) was an orange bar that moved from left- right to tell you how fast you were going
Remember it had 90 mph on it and on a good day you could get it all the way
After the TK came a Km (like a TK but with a big bumper and an even bigger engine hanging out of the back) with a Detriot V engine and eaton two speed axle thats was just as fast if I remember but sounded 100 mph faster.LOL.
Later had a leyland Buffalo with a 13 speed fuller that went off the clock (80mpn) 
All the Ford D1000s I have ever been in were good for 70 mph untill you put a trailer on.
My own dealings with fast trucks trucks late 70s F89 80 mph ,
Early 80s F1220,80+ mph
Late 80s DAf 2800 thats belonged to BRS Truck rental went off the clock in 7th some one had wound the pump out . 
Most of the time drove around at about 60/65 same as everyone
A few years ago had a 3 series scania if you truned the key back one notch after starting the engine you could go as fast as the tacho went .
It was nice sometimes being able to toe it a bit if you were on a promise.
what speed did they go at?
Forgot this one in my last post
There was a Transport company from scotland in the late 80s ?(someone will remember their name) ran Daf ATI 3600 Black with black trailers did airfreight…? Heathrow to Glasgow every night .recon they could do it it one way 6 hrs…what speed did they go at??
curnock:
bestbooties:
wilds!!!.did’nt they have the depot in altrincham the rear of a garage ?
No,that was a different Wild.It was the Wild Group,based in Stoke,boss was Vic Wild.The original firm was called Gleave Transport.Other firms in the group were Newport Transport of Gobowen,Maddens of Redruth,Tancocks of Exeter and one or two more.
When Vic Wild died the group fell apart and the only recgnisable remnant was Tancock of Exeter which I think now calls itself Maddens!
All the group ran in the colours of my 2600 DAF but with each firms own name on the door.
Used to share digs with some of Wilds of Altrincham in Exeter ocassionally when we used to park up on the old cattle market.
There was a Wild in Rochester that used to run in the same colours but had nothing to do with us.
When I was on for Chilton Transport out of Bow, I had a Leyland Marathon 2 and used to get 80mph on a regular basis with 20+ tons on. And when I had my Danish spec 141 6x2 I could get that off the clock freighted and it was still pulling. Iused to pass those Turks in their Macks like they were standing still. On the last part of the convoy in Jordan you could just let it fly and I had a straight through exhaust that came out just behind the left side tank and you could see the orange glow at night.
The Turks used to call me the Scud. It was a close call between my 141 and Poggiani’s Scammel 6x4 Roadtrain but it didn’t sound the same as a V8 !!
GS
Spardo:
I had a Kew Dodge tractor in the 60s with a Perkins 6354 engine and axle
splitter that comfortably did 75 down the M1 (perfectly legal) with a 4-in-line
28ft trailer loaded with asphalt blocks. Can’t remember what the max weight
was in those days but with blocks on it must have been fully freighted and I
don’t remember having any problems on the banks.I spent most of the trip in the 3rd lane (also legal) and the only wagons I
moved over for (occasionally) were those black removal vans of Hadfields of
Ashton under Lyme.
Stepthru, I think the realistic speeds have all been covered in this thread and through over 45 years of HGV driving experience I can vouch for them as being feasible.
Nevertheless I would not like you or any other younger drivers to be mis-lead about past speed laws as regards to heavy lorries. Since the very first stretch of the M 1 was open in 1959, the maximum speed limit for HGV’s has only ever been 60 mph. HGV’s have never ever been permitted to use the third lane. This was only ever permitted by 7.5 tonners and even a tractor unit could ever use the third lane if it was not fitted with a fifth-wheel and not capable of pulling a trailer. I really do not wish to deliberately undermine anybody or offend but also I would not wish to see anyone mis-lead.