Rigid eight-wheelers with internal combustion engines were developed as a response to requirements and opportunities embedded in the 1933 Road and Rail Traffic Act. Although AEC was first in the field, in late 1934 or early 1935 Leyland was able to announce its Octopus. By the Second World War the Octopus had become a favourite with operators, known to carry a legal payload economically and reliably. After the war the driveline of the Octopus basically remained unchanged until 1960. Specification options were few, yet the model remained a market leader with lengthy waiting lists for new chassis. The model remained in production until the late 1970s and, as AEC authority Graham edge writes, 'For most of its productive life the Leyland Octopus was the definitive British eight-wheeler lorry.' The many superb photographs in this book range from shots from the 1930s including what is probably the first Octopus chassis and a rare TEW tipper to 1979 and an Octopus 2 which started service that year with a compacting refuse body. The text covers the full production story, and there are Appendices which give chassis and engine details.
About the author
Graham Edge is a trucking journalist and author of several books. He was the founder of Gingerfold Publishing, now part of Old Pond, and among other titles he published Volvo F88 & F89 at Work, the first book by Patrick W. Dyer. Graham has now retired from publishing.
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