I realize we tend to talk about car and truck names a lot on here, but there’s a good reason for that: it’s fascinating. Remember, our co-founder Beau has referred to this process as “the sport of kings,” and if he’s saying it’s such a regal undertaking, then that must mean something. I happened to stumble across some really fantastic examples of one of my favorite kind of vehicle names: animal-based ones. And these are all for big-ass British work and dump trucks!
Well, they’re not all animal names – we have an astronomical name in there, too, another favorite category of mine. Here, look at these, all from 1964:
Beaver! Retriever! Hippo! Mothertrusting hippo! What a fantastic name for a big, bulky, strong brute of a truck! I adore it.
Let’s see what else Leyland came up with:
Okay, I appreciate Super Beavers and Super Hippos, sure, every culture needs their heroes, but Octopus? Dear god what a glorious name for a dump truck. I mean, minus the tentacles, it’s a bit tenuous, but it somehow just works.
Just take a moment and try these out:
“Oh, that, that’s my Super Hippo.”
“I drive an Octopus. Why?”
“Sounds great! I’ll pick you up in my Leyland Beaver at nine!”
I also just like that such utilitarian vehicles still get to have fun, engaging names. They could just be named after numbers, like a newfound pulsar!
Not BL, but — Scammel Scarab.
What can I say? I *like* tarmac tripods. Silly me.
Did those Octopi come with 4 Wheel Steering? Neato!
Since you hit all the high points, I’ll note the Albion Reiver (Scots Borders outlaws) the Atkinson Borderer, Raider, Searcher, and Gold, Silver and Black Knights. Also the Foden Mickey Mouse, an unofficial nickname for rhe S21
Mark Knopfler wrote a great song about driving the Albion, “Border Reiver.”
Three hundred thousand on the clock and plenty more to go
Crashbox and lever, she needs the heel and toe
She’s not too cold in winter, but she cooks me in the heat
I’m a six-foot driver, but you can’t adjust the seat
In the Border Reiver
In the later ‘British Leyland’ era, Australia produced the Leyland Terrier truck, which after production of the Leyland P76 car ceased, got the Rover-derived 4.4 litre V8 engine up until the supply ran out in about 1979. There was also a slightly larger model called the Boxer.
Fun fact – I have a turbo kit for a Terrier engine that was built by a Leyland employee who put a Terrier truck motor in a Holden panelvan, which was scrapped after it ended up on its roof in a ditch after coming on boost and engaging its Detroit locker diff halfway through a fast corner in the wet. When I stripped the dead engine after getting it home, all the pistons were riddled with fine cracks from running lots of boost on stock cast pistons, and looked like they were one hard throttle application from crumbing into tiny pieces!
Interesting.And sorry,i laughed more than i should have at the panel van crash.
My old dad had an early 80s Boxer a few years back.Until then i didnt realize they made them so late.I’ve seen some Isuzus with the Leyland name so apparently they did that for a bit before dropping out of the market
Someone needs to graft an Edsel grille onto a Super Beaver.