Fire Engines Photos

Peter, its Bob Carver just for your information this f.8 has just been sold at auction what a shame! I saw them all some years ago when I was on holiday in Cornwall, I believe they had four, they were used at this time as Driver Training Vehicles at Cambourne. The one based at St Just (Lands End was mint) it came down from Exeter where it was exchanged for another vehicle. it was the only one that did not have the camber in the bodywork (rear of cab) it turned up at the Amberley Chalk Pits some years ago and was a barn find by a Portsmouth Haulier it was lovely I would have liked it never got the guys address.

Added by BOB CARVER on 23 September 2008.

Hallo Bob, I'm really surprised to hear this old Dennis F8 has been sold on, it
looked to me as if it had only just been fully restored.Did you by any chance
get a picture of that other Cornwall Dennis F8 that appeared at Amberley?.Must
have been one of the shows I missed.Thanks, Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 25 September 2008.

It's recently been on e-bay for sale via a dealer, see item number 280264599137.

The photo's there show it to be in fantastic condition, even the bottom of the sump makes a pretty picture.

Added by John D on 27 September 2008.

I have photos of this at Duxford rally 1985 and 1988, in Cornwall livery only at the later date.

Added by Peter Williams on 08 December 2009.

I've just spoken to Bruce Hoad who owned UAF 338 for many years. It did not sell at Blackbushe Auctions but subsequently to a person who claimed to be an enthusiast but was in fact a motor-dealer and he sold it to a museum in ITALY! Bruce was furious. I wonder if it's still there.

Added by Simon Rowley on 22 July 2017.

UAF338 for searching. I am about to post a sister appliance OFJ333.

Added by Petros on 15 February 2023.

I think the Italian VdF would have loved to have Dennis F8s. Compact, maneuverable with a decent capacity pump and a tank of 900 or more litres, they were a vast improvement on any local Italian fire pump from the same era. Only a few fire museums have trucks from other countries, and the very first ever fire engine I set eyes on from Redcar in Yorkshire now actually resides in a museum in the Netherlands. But at least museums tend to look after their exhibits, while examples in private hands all too often end up not surviving.

The Hall of Flame in Phoenix is one of the world’s largest fire museums, but has only three trucks from overseas, and Britain is represented by an ERF! In my view they do deserve to have a Dennis, just to show how advanced British design was in the 1950s.

Added by Rob Johnson on 16 February 2023.

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