Annis & Co Ltd

1958 ANNIS Roadtractor Diesel

ANNIS & CO LTD Trucks 1957-1959

Annis & Company Limited were heavy hauliers based at Hayes in Middlesex near London, England who never manufactured any vehicles before so just like the Redler firm did, ANNIS also built their own original trucks alone, although they were all shortlived. This company constructed two special roadtractors of 6X4 form to begin using stocked parts from Diamond Reo lorries taken from leftover US Army war surplus trucks. Annis acquired these parts and allowed them to build modified Diamond Reo 980T models but fitted with alternative parts. The new Annis Roadtractor Diesel as it was known retained the US Diamond REO chassis and other spares but were all powered by a British Gardner Diesel 8LW engines and heavy duty Leyland transmissions. Production was only about 12 trucks made by Annis & Co Ltd.

Model Range

The first ANNIS Roadtractor Diesel model had this engine and gearbox and carried a ballastbox body but received a coachbuilt cab and it carried the name ANNIS on the vehicle´s radiator. The second ANNIS Roadtractor Diesel made was intended for extra heavy loads and it was now made with a crewcab taken from a Foden heavy haulage outfit and it carried a special constructed ballastbox body. Unfortunately these ANNIS Roadtractors Diesel units were only built in small numbers so their production only lasted briefly plus the vehicles sales were too slow to stay in the UK lorry and truck market so the company was only able to build around 12 Annis Roadtractors and Annis could not increase manufacturing which explains the low output of ANNIS trucks built with limited production. They were never so great like Bedford, Foden or Leyland among several other British makes of lorries who already had unstoppable grand sales as they all achieved checkered and everlasting careers.

See also

• List of truck manufacturers