Fordson 7V lorry.
Paul kindly agreed to this photo being shown on the site. It shows a semi-abandoned Fordson 7V lorry, with flatbed body, parked on a rough bit of ground and looking very neglected indeed. Sadly the registration number isn't visible, so its identity will remain a mystery. A later Fordson, possibly a 4D or ET6, can just be made out in the background, again it looks like a lorry on coal duty. As with most commercial vehicles, once their working life is over they are swiftly replaced, and rarely do their owners get sentimental about the lorry being replaced. This Fordson looks like it may have reached the end of the road.
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The forward-control 7V range made its debut in 1937, powered by a 30hp sidevalve V8 engine. The distinctive boxy cab featured a sunroof over the passenger seat, and is clearly visible in the photograph above. A four speed "crash" gearbox, and a torque tube, delivered the drive to the rear wheels. Two different wheelbases were offered in the standard lorry range, each available in either 2 or 3 ton capacity. Someone desiring a van could opt for a 2 ton 7V utilising a shorter chassis, and larger six wheelers were also available.
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In 1938, the 7Vs were marketed by Ford either as Fordsons or as Thames lorries, depending on which brochure you picked up at your local agent, with 4 and 5 ton versions being introduced the following year, as were all-new tipper versions. Both short- and long-wheelbases were available. The earlier 7Vs are identifiable by the large headlamps, as fitted to the lorry above. Early 7Vs, built in 1937 and 1938, had a curved radiator grille, whereas those from 1939 onwards had a flatter affair, mounted between smaller, wartime-spec headlamps.
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Production of the civilian 7V continued throughout the war, many of the tippers being pressed into service clearing up after the bombing raids, and then delivering raw materials to areas being rebuilt. Once hostilities had ceased, production continued with the 7V range, soon to be identifiable thanks to the placement of a new Fordson badge on the grille. Numerous revisions were also introduced as peacetime production settled down, not least an all-new braking system, and later still a new articulated version of the 7V, with a fifth wheel coupling.
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Production of this model continued until 1949.
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Return to Old Motoring Photos Page No. 9.
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