Trucking Magazine – August 2019

CLASSIC TRUCK KELSALL RALLY 2019

82 TRUCKING August 2019 http://www.truckingmag.co.uk

and Mercedes-Benz classics than in
previous years. To the surprise and
delight of the organisers, as they
were not pre-booked, the ranks of
non-Brits were swelled by the arrival
from the Republic of Ireland of six
artic loads of immaculately presented
European classics.
American representation included
several Kenworths and Peterbilts,
and a magnifi cent 1965 Mack B61
with beautifully curvaceous extended
steel cab and Clariben after-market
glassfi bre reinforced plastics one-piece
engine hood and fenders. Owner Paul

Leek acquired it in 2011 and restored

it over an eight-year period. It was

originally exported to this side of the

Atlantic by Oldmacks.com, New York,

Paul Leek bought this 1965 bunk-cab Mack

B61 to restore simply because he liked the

look of it. Not hard to see why

The Walsh bothers’ unique tilt-cab Bedford

KM. Behind is their restored 1949 aluminium

integral-chassis Beadle bus conversion

RECORD

ATTENDANCE

The 1000 trucks at Kelsall

included 100 or so moderns.

While welcomed, to limit

numbers, unlike classics there’s

a small charge that goes to

charity. Despite this, they

were over-subscribed.

and ended its working life with an

operator in Indiana.

The bar was set high for the quality

of restoration, but it couldn’t be

Originally a 4x2, the Mack B61 has a non-driven

lifting tag axle and rates as a 32-tonner.

ABOVE For optimal weight distribution, Rowe Hillmasters
typically had a Meadows diesel mid-mounted horizontally