Leylands in Spain

(Torque 16)

For over 30 years, from 1930-1963, Leyland Motors enjoyed a buoyant market in Spain, although little business was done between 1936-1945 because of war, first in Spain and then throughout Europe. Derek Parsons of Witham recently dug out two pictures he had taken some time ago whilst on holiday in that country, and they are reproduced below. The first is a right-hand drive Comet of the early fifties, seen after being rebodied with a typical Spanish all-metal body of the late sixties/early seventies. Registered V.54500 it appears to be working on a route from Valencia to Chiva for Autobuses Bunol S.L., who were once owners of a Park Royal bodied AEC Regent double decker purchased new in 1933.

The second appears to be a Super Beaver, still carrying its bonnet-side plates with the legend “El Camion Ingles - Leyland”, but devoid of windows. It is lettered for Gruas Lozano of Albacete, indicating its use as a recovery vehicle, but the lack of a registration plate suggests it was no longer in service.

The Leyland Comet in the early bonnetted form was a great success in Spain, and won for itself the nick-name “Levanta-pobres.” It is difficult to translate this neatly into English, but it means that a poor man who could afford to hire -purchase a Comet would end up a rich man: if not quite a passport to riches, they were a reliable servant that would work hard alongside his master and not let him down. Below is a Comet left-hand drive lorry looking well cared for despite a probable age of twenty-plus when photographed in Alicante province by Ron Phillips. Note the high sided body which has a char-a-bancs type canvas hood which can be unfolded back over the load when necessary. Behind stands a rather forlorn looking Super Beaver or Super Hippo. The Comet engine (in O.350 form) was manufactured in Spain under licence for fitting into medium weight Pegaso lorries and buses throughout the 1960s - 1970s.

Below is another right-hand drive Comet with all-metal Spanish bodywork of the maximum 2.5 metre width, seen at Villanueva de Castellon railway station (Valencia), awaiting departure for Jativa. Again this is almost certainly the second body carried by this chassis, which was fi rst registered in Madrid (M.138045). Photo by Ron Phillips.

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