The Thames Trader was once a familiar sight on Britain’s roads. From construction sites and factories to docks, depots and busy town centres, Ford’s forward-control lorry became an important part of everyday British transport during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

But today, the Thames Trader is surprisingly rare.

So what happened to a lorry that once seemed to be everywhere?

In this documentary, we look at the story of the Thames Trader — why Ford developed it, how its forward-control design suited Britain’s changing roads, the different roles it performed, its export markets, and the competition it faced from other British commercial vehicles.

We also examine the Mark II improvements, the arrival of Ford’s D-Series in 1965, and why thousands of working lorries eventually disappeared through hard use, replacement and scrappage.

The Thames Trader was never designed to become a classic. It was built to work. Its disappearance tells the story of how Britain’s commercial road transport changed during the 1950s and 1960s.

This video is an educational historical documentary based on research from historical and automotive sources. If you notice a factual error, please let us know in the comments so it can be checked and corrected.

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