Fire Engines Photos

Kent Volvos - Quite possibly the only remotely-interesting-looking Volvos on the planet. Is it just me, or does anyone else find Volvo FLs a bore? Take Manchester Volvos for example: UG-ER-LY! But then again, I can't ever remember seeing a Greater Manchester pump that wasn't a clumsy-looking monstrsity!

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 14 December 2007.

if you think this looks good, then you obviously haven't seen Hampshires volvos

Added by Alex on 15 March 2008.

I think the problem is that this cab has been around for years so they all pretty much look the same, i know North York got their 1st one on a D reg, so the cab/ chassis has been around a while now.

Only one thing that bothers me is will the new Volvo appliance become like this, old and boring? only time will tell................


Added by John Johnstone on 16 March 2008.

Actually, I have seen plenty of Hampshire's Volvos. And sorry, but I don't think they're anything to shout about. Their orange flashers and over-the-top yellow and black stripes make them look like gaudy breakdown lorries. So obviously, I have seen them.

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 06 May 2008.

I think Suffolk's Volvos have always been pretty good. I have always been proud of the tradition that Volvo manage to put into our pumps. Check them out guys see what you think!!

Added by Peter Bromley on 17 May 2009.

Peter I accept these have better crew access and not that nasty cheap habit of using the front doors on the rear. The problem is simply their longevity in wholetime use. as a retained machine they get less hammer. Also the Suffolk crews take real pride in their machines. you still cant beat a Bedford or a Dennis though!

Added by John Stott on 18 May 2009.

It's unreasonable to complain about Volvo FL6s. They are extremely reliable trucks, virtually indestructible. They're still used today for these reasons. You can't really fault Volvo for keeping the design the same for so long, there was no reason to change it.

Added by Will on 01 November 2024.

Surely every time you make a design change it produces a cost element!

Added by Neal Glover on 02 November 2024.

Neal: That is very true, but it is also very risky for a truck builder to postpone updates to their product range, because - as technology advances - the product range becomes increasingly outdated when compared to newer alternatives. This was the case for many British manufacturers in the seventies and eighties, as more modern European alternatives started to be imported and grew their sales quite rapidly. Even major volume truck builders like Bedford eventually succumbed, as they were in a vicious circle. As sales declined, the investment funds for making updates also fell, so it became increasingly impossible to introduce new features to compete with the imports. I once calculated that in the fifties there were over twenty truck manufacturers in the UK. By 2000 almost all had disappeared.

Added by Rob Johnson on 04 November 2024.

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