The Leyland Octopus (Commercial Vehicles Archive Series)

Product Information

Collaboration with Danish Automobile Building (DAB), a bus manufacturer, later with a majority stake in the 1970s In 1968 Leyland Motors merged with British Motor Holdings (BMH) to form the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC). BMH, which was the product of an earlier merger between the British Motor Corporation, the Pressed Steel Company and Jaguar, brought with it more marques, including Daimler, Guy, BMC, Austin, MG and Morris. Leyland diesel engines were used in Finnish Sisu and Vanaja lorries and buses in 1960s. T Coulthard and Co, an engineering firm in Preston, was taken over by LSMC and the combined company named Leyland Motors Limited. [3]

The cab was a re-worked version of the "Ergomatic" tilt cab of 1965, heavily modified with different lower panels, raised height etc., and was available in day and sleeper cab form. Engines were decided from the outset to be in the higher power category to be competitive with rival vehicles. The only existing engine within the Leyland empire suitable for such an application (following the demise of the ill-fated fixed-head 500 series and AEC's underdeveloped and unreliable V8) was the AEC AV760 straight-six, which was turbocharged and designated as the TL12. Other engine options included a 200bhp Leyland L11, as well as Cummins 10- and 14-litre engines at 250 and 330bhp, respectively. Anyway, as you know, there is film project in the pipeline. I’m not permitted go into too much detail right now, but suffice to say that it’s not going to be filmed in London thanks to the various Boroughs constantly putting up hurdles thus making the locations unworkable. Plan B was Bristol, but again the same issues arose, so alternative plans are in progress it’s still going to happen and we will keep you abreast of developments. The Octopus comes to life The American production house gave Tony the go-ahead to organise his vehicles. The original need was for 15 running tippers but, after the various machines had been pooled together – some of which that had been parked up for two decades, the best he could cobble together was 12 plus two more earmarked for being blown up.Instrumentation includes front and rear reservoir air gauges and a combined oil pressure and water temperature gauge as well as a useful rev counter. Our test vehicle came equipped with a tachograph. The 1930s continued the development of this well received range as ‘Hippo’, ‘Rhino’, ‘Octopus’ and 'Buffalo' were added to the ‘heavy’ range of vehicles and the ‘lightweight’ ‘Cub’ replaced the Trojan as the Kingston built product. Leyland Motors produced a film in 1977 entitled The Quality Connection showing the importance of quality control. It featured well known actors including Frank Windsor, George A Cooper, David Suchet, Michael Robbins, Madeline Smith and Trevor Bannister. [19] See also [ edit ] Visibility from the driving seat is good although the large quarter lights can partially obstruct the driving mirrors, in certain positions.

The BLMC group was difficult to manage because of the many companies under its control, often making similar products. This, and other reasons, led to financial difficulties and in December 1974 British Leyland had to receive a guarantee from the British government. The ergonomic GKN-assembled cab may have been cutting edge in the mid-1960s but, by 1979, it was getting plain crude. Nothing is offered in terms of creature comforts with the exception of a suspended driver’s seat – even the windows pull down and up akin to an old railway carriage door.The Leyland Landtrain was produced between 1980 and 1987, specifically for export markets. [16] A bonneted design, it was built in the UK and exported in completed and kit form, the latter for local construction in Kenya and Nigeria. [17] Comet [ edit ] Due partly to the cab's propensity to rust and also to the admittedly short life of commercial vehicles, any Roadtrain in commercial operation is now a very rare sight indeed. However, a small number remain in use throughout the country as towing-and-recovery vehicles. The G-series cab was built in Bathgate and was available with several different names, such as Terrier, Clydesdale, and Reiver. After this cab was replaced the tooling was shipped to Turkey, where BMC's Turkish subsidiary built it as the "BMC Yavuz" and then as the "Fatih" (with Cummins engines) from 1986 until 1996. An early manufacturer of steam lorries, Atkinson failed to survive the economic depression of the late 1920s. The company re-formed in 1933 with production concentrating on diesel lorries and entered the eight wheeler market in 1937 with the L1586, a handsome "assembled" lorry using Gardner, David Brown and Kirkstall running units. An improved model L1586, popularly referred to as the "Bow-Front" was introduced in 1952. It became a classic of the Fifties.

Overall fuel consumption for the 1171.9km (728.2 miles) of the test route was 37.7 litre/ 100Iun (7,5mpg)—even better than the figure of 38.7 litre/ 100km (7.3mpg) obtained a year ago during CM's road test of the Leyland Buffalo, which was carrying only 300kg (6cwt) more than the Octopus. When it is realised that the Octopus completed the course 29min faster than the Buffalo, this fuel consumption is very good indeed. He also agreed that 10 tippers on a B licence and a further five tippers on another B should be transferred, the radii of the normal users being calculated from Wythenshawe.

Media in category "Leyland Octopus"

A management buyout made the bus division independent for a short period before it was sold to Volvo, who integrated Leyland models into their range before gradually replacing them with Volvos as they aged. Parent company British Leyland is renamed the Rover Group; the new company begins divesting its non-car manufacturing-related businesses. Seddon Motors of Oldham were late-comers to the eight-wheeled market, surprising the industry with their DD8 and SD8 models in 1958. With a choice of Gardner or Cummins diesel engines, the model was available in long (17ft 9in) or short (14ft 6in) wheelbase form. Within four years of their launch the SD8/DD8s were replaced by re-engineered 24-8-6LX and 24-DD8-6LX models. These featured a restyled cab, now with four headlamps and a new design of fully-articulating two-spring rear bogie. Guy Motors Limited had mainly produced four and six wheel lorries up until 1954 when they launched their Invincible range based on the AEC Mammoth Major Mk 3. By 1958 the company were offering the Invincible MkII, using their own chassis with Kirkstall axles and an ultra modern new cab with large wraparound windscreen. The following year a lightweight model was added to the range, powered by an AEC AVU470 engine and called the Warrior Light Eight, it was popular with operators seeking maximum payload capacity. Guy Motors became part of Jaguar Cars in 1961 and in 1964 introduced a new eight-wheeled model, the Big J8. The last time I actually saw the Gardner=powered Constructor it was buried in foliage with thorn bushes actually growing out of the radiator grille. All 12 are now fully drivable and not only that but his secret pride and joy has now joined the ranks of his seemingly immortal aging fleet. We spoke on the ‘phone a few weeks ago and he slipped into the conversation that his 1979 Leyland Octopus was out of the shed after many years and also running.

IN SEPTEMBER last year Leyland introduced its latest version of the Octopus eight-wheeled chassis which, it is claimed, is 500kg (10cwt) lighter in chassis cab form than its nearest competitor. The Leyland driver who came on the trip found it easier to take the seat out if the steering wheel was removed, although this is theoretically unnnecessary. An over-centre catch mechanism keeps the cab in its tilt position which is only to an angle of 30 degrees.Although the turning circles are big, no problems were experienced while on the road, but parking involved several shunts when turning in between other vehicles. Foden 14-Ton Tanker ‘Mobilgas’; made 1953 through 1956, eventually superseded by the Regent livery version.