Does Anyone Know Anyhing Bout The Actual Vehicle..

[TsrJoe]

http://groups.msn.com/TSR-2ResearchGroup/b...to&PhotoID=1480

[Mossie]

I vaguely remember having something like that too, my Grandad had a load of trucks for us as he was a lorry driver post war, but to be honest I mainly remember it was BP.  Nick, if it's a Matchbox, have a look on the bottom as the type is often stated.

[jcf]

B.P. Autotanker.

Babelfish translation from a Russian truck site:
B.P. Autotanker, that belongs to "feather" Thompson-Leyland, is genuine concept according to all indices. Peace yet did not see such original solutions. Automobile was created on the bus technology with the application of aluminum for the body itself and the cistern and the plastic for the front panel and the rear cover of motor section. Engine Leyland is located in the tail end of the body and is aggregated with the automatic gearbox. Automobile itself weighed 9 t, but were onboard taken 15 t of fuel. The front axles of four-axis chassis had pneumatic suspension, whereas pneumatic was the amplifier of control - sufficiently rare combination. Cistern had sufficiently interesting alternative to the mirrors of rear form. Along the roof along the length body was passed the channel, filled with the system of mirrors and lenses (according to the type of complex telescope), that made it possible to design the image of proceeding from behind on the screen before the driver. The premier of automobile it took place in 1960.

http://lorry.gruzovoy.ru/articles/2549/



Found another pic, Earl's Court truck show 1960:


Cheers, Jon

[ysi_maniac]

It is amazing    

[Mossie]

I did a Goggle search on the BP Autotanker that Jon found & saw a brief reference to 'Thomson Autotanker'.  I searched that & came up with this site & pic:
http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/BCM...thompbros00.htm



There's little refference to the tanker except a small caption with the image on the second page, but itdoes give a local history of the firm.  It seems they were a liquids handling firm that offered tailor made systems, including road tankers mounted on other companies tractors, they'd also manufature custom built coaches & trailers.  I assume that if they designed the Autotanker for BP, they'll have had the rights to that design & presumably offered a version to the RAF.

Useless bit of info, but it seems that little Matchbox toy often made an appearance on Thunderbirds because of it's futuristic appearance!

[Nick]

Matchbox...? Matchbox?! It's a Lesney production!

    B.P. "Autotanker"
   MAJOR PACK No 1
  MADE IN ENGLAND
        BY LESNEY

is what it says on the bottom. On the top are 6 hatches for accessing the fuel compartments and a sliding sunroof for the driver's cabin.

And look closely at your Thunderbirds videos, Gerry Anderson used these toys as props on airport scenes! Look closely at the first episode "Trapped In The Sky" with one refuelling the Fireflash. There's definitely a pair painted red/silver as firetrucks.

Nick B)

[Mossie]

Same thing, at least it used to be once upon a time!

[retro_seventies]