Matadores

[billyboy]

Anyone know if any of the AEC Matadores survived. I know some showmen bought them for towing.
Bit like the scammel recovery trucks that were once used for towing But they were 6x6 as i remember it. whereas the Matadores were i think all 4x4's :confused:

[G-CPTN]

Googoo is your friend - and 'Images' returns lots of photos (haven't checked them all out yet).
Then there's:- http://www.aecmilitant.co.uk/index2.html

One of my posted images in the Gallery is of an AEC Militant:- http://www.aecmilitant.co.uk/militant3rec/home.html

[Western SMT]

I know of two Matador breakdown wagons up here in Scotland.
Can't find a photo of them on the website but one is listed as coming from the Western SMT and may be the same one I was on a couple of times riding shotgun.
www.busweb.co.uk/svbm/stocklist.htm
Ron

[billyboy]

Great to see so many of these grand old workhorses made it through.
A credit to their designers

[Western SMT]

A lot more AEC Matador trucks out there than what we think.
Try www.nationaltransportmuseum.org/mv002.html and a strange titled one but loads of photos at home-and-garden.webshots.com and type AEC Matador into search box.

[dmackay]

Drove one for 16 yrs as a recovery vehicle in the north of scotland. i think its still around I will try and get some photos
Your heart will break before a matador will :rolleyes:

[G-CPTN]

Not specific to Matadors, but a significant percentage of 'heavy' ex-military vehicles seem to have Scottish 'S' registrations.
Assuming that civilian registrations are issued according to location of the applicant, can anyone explain this (or did the Ministry (of Transport) decide to use otherwise underused Scottish registrations to balance out against Southern English registrations)?

[dmackay]

when the dvla stopped us using trade plates on our matador we got a "Q" reg :mad:

[G-CPTN]

I think that was a typical use of the "Q" reg (apart from built-up specials for which no obvious year of origin could not be determined).
Don't seem to see many new "Q" reg these days - no doubt new single type-approval regs have made a difference.

[Western SMT]

Not specific to Matadors, but a significant percentage of 'heavy' ex-military vehicles seem to have Scottish 'S' registrations.
Assuming that civilian registrations are issued according to location of the applicant, can anyone explain this (or did the Ministry (of Transport) decide to use otherwise underused Scottish registrations to balance out against Southern English registrations)?

Try - http://www.fleetdata.co.uk/agerelated.html

[G-CPTN]

Thank-you!
That'll do nicely.
I suspected that that might be the case, but there was just a chance that there might be a Scottish 'Vass' licensing ex-military vehicles and flogging them on.

I remember running our recovery vehicles on trade plates.
We also ran our (commercial) test vehicles on trade plates.

[dmackay]

Have a look at www.hmvf.co.uk a few matadors there

[Mr-Tomcat]

Billyboy go look here you'll find plenty. http://middx.net/aec/frames/framephotos1.htm

Andy.

[Western SMT]

http://www.anti-aircraft.co.uk/matador.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEC_Matador

Short video of one hopefully being saved

http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNbIJXnJ1aKk

[dmackay]

Check out my avatar, thats the one i drove on recovery from 74 until 88 :D:D

[Western SMT]

Do you know what happened to it

[dmackay]

Yes Western SMT im trying to get permission to get into the shed where it is stored. The guy that bought it lost his life in a motoring accident and the family shelved the restoration project. I hope to get some pics and post them soon.

[Western SMT]

Look forward to them.

[Mr-Tomcat]

I was able to wave at a Matatador on the A55 the other day, as there are still two working in Glan Conwy.

Andy.:)

[Paul Anderson]

Here's the place for plenty picture's of AEC Matadore's (http://aec.fotopic.net/c22233.html)

Also the Matador was the ideal bus recovery tender and many bus companies that ran them went to a lot of trouble
to rebuild the ex-WD machines with stylish cabs and bodywork Bus Companies Matador's (http://aec.fotopic.net/c1627426.html)

[redd9]

A very good Friend of mine has Crosville's 59A and is restoring her
http://dmorris59a.photoblog.co.uk/

[jamescookes]

The old matadors were and still are a faviourate of the old timber man, for dragging timber out of forrests and loading. I still know of two such still working in south of england.

james

[robertdavey6]

The old matadors were and still are a faviourate of the old timber man, for dragging timber out of forrests and loading. I still know of two such still working in south of england.

james

Until reasonably recently, there was one such at the side of the M6 near Stoke. It was on the left side heading North. It might be a "modern" vehicle now. Like a Bedford 4x4 but not certain. I'll look next time I'm passing.

[G-CPTN]

Like a Bedford 4x4 but not certain.

Probably a QL (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/3729805959_005fd3f772.jpg) :D

[JamesHorrell]

Heres Alan G Smith's Matador from Huddersfield
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x439/Jameshorrell/P1010541.jpg

[G-CPTN]

Smart machine!

[Iain Crosbie]

Until recently there were five Matadors at the Transport Preservation Trust in Beith. One (ex Dallas recovery) recently sold, so now 4 left.

[coachman]

Anyone know if any of the AEC Matadores survived. I know some showmen bought them for towing.
Bit like the scammel recovery trucks that were once used for towing But they were 6x6 as i remember it. whereas the Matadores were i think all 4x4's :confused:

My old mate has a least two - and plenty more around.