“What is it?”, was the question asked by many visitors to the 2016 Clunes Historic Vehicle Show, as they caught sight of the ‘ugly duckling’ making its way to a position in the display line-up.

As the vehicle ambled across the oval, albeit uncertainly because the engine was a ‘little’ suspect, truck ‘connoisseurs’ began to speculate as to its origins. As there was no readily recognised identification visible, many were the comments – “It’s got to be English!”; “No, it’s American!”; “It’s an early Austin!”; “No! It is some other smaller English truck, an Austin lookalike”. Somebody then countered with a suggestion that its origins were European.

 Anyway, when the vehicle came to a stop the question was answered, an