The vehicle, dating back to 1949, has undergone a complete makeover after many years of service have eventually taken its toll. Many hours of hard work have gone into its refurbishment including a complete replacement of the appliance’s interior and various mechanical elements, as well as a body re-spray and new livery, bringing the engine back to life.

Being part of the fleet for the past 56 years the Service were not willing to let the engine look run down. Transport Manager, Hayden Day explained, “The restoration work was important to us, the vehicle is not only unique to Cheshire Fire Service it is also become part of our heritage.”

The restoration project has been carried out in partnership with members of the Service and Thomas Hardie Commercials, the Northwest Truck and Bus Distributors.

Hayden commented that, “The final results look fantastic.” He added that, “everyone involved has done a great job.”

Thomas Hardie Commercials carried out one of the final tasks in the project, re-spraying the vehicle. Paint and Body shop Business Development Manager, Bill Watkins commented that, “Having the task of re-spraying the vehicle has been an honour.” He added that, “The vehicle looks as good as new, all the hard work of everyone involved in the project has finally paid off.”

Back in the 1950’s the F7 was known for its advanced performance and modern looks. Its Rolls Royce Engine, 0-60 mph speed of 45 seconds and a typical fuel consumption of 3 to 4 mpg were quite impressive for the time. With no power steering and hydraulic brakes the F7 was known to be difficult to drive. Driving one was considered quite an art, although drivers still loved using them.