Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki
Register
Advertisement

MTN Motor Traction Ltd 1951-1956 Croydon in Surrey England.

Rutland MTN Limited 1953-1957 New Addington in Surrey England.

MTN Limited or else known as Motor Traction Limited of Croydon in Surrey England was a small British builder of trucks started by Frank Manton so it was legally registered using his surname Manton for lorry production under the MTN brandname for the models. Their factory was moved to bigger premises at New Addington in Surrey but the company´s office and parts store warehouse remained at Croydon.The Rutland was soon introduced to this company being generally used for all homemarket going vehicles. Soon 75% of Rutland production went to excelent markets of Portuigal and Spain where their vehiclesales grew at many occasions all under the name of MTN-Rutland. Other export markets for their models were sold the under the Rutland (brand) usually for the South America, Rhodesia, India, Pakistan and Turkey.

The company only lasted about 5 years but built nearly 50 different models. They offered a choice of drive train and coachbuilt cabs. a lot were one-off specials. They were renamed in 1956 under the brandname of Rutland who redeveloped a whole new lorry range with updated and endless choice of mechanical drivetrains and transmissions and nearly all makes and models of mechanicals could be used and this time their trucks were renamed as the Clipper model a passenger model used as a coach, the Condor model a 4x2 truck and numerous other models existed usually using names of birds and mainly used for the construction industry such as 4x4 dumptrucks and 6x6 cranecarriers and some 6x4 models all were developed by Rutland but all production was stopped in 1957. The name of this manufacturer was inspired by the UK County of Rutland where Frank´s father Arthur Manton was born.

THE MTN-RUTLAND LORRY RANGE (some of the best known)

Condor A FC 4x2 model that was popular as a horsebox or cargo lorry with Perkins P6 diesel engine.

Toucan Another FC model similar to the Condor but with a new large cab and a Commer Diesel engine fitted.

Albatross A new 6X6 roadtractor with 6WD axles and normal control 3 seater cab with Commer Diesel S6 engine.

Eagle A further development and a heavier longer Stuka model with Leyland Straightsix Diesel and bonnneted cab.

Clipper Something diferent now, this model was a new model to form the basis of a modern highway coach with Perkins P6 engine.

Stuka A roadtractor in 4x2 form that had a bonneted shaped cab much like a Bedford TA with Perkins P6 engine.

TH 10716 Protoype new large lorry and it was the first MTN model to have 8x4 construction of which 8 were built with a new Leyland S6 diesel engine and transmission.

And numerous other 4WD and 6WD prototypes and specials were made too mostly under special orders that MTN were receiving and were assembling or even buidling vehicles for other external construction industry firms and special vehicle manufacturers a bit everywhere in the UK in the 1950s .Also several bus and coach chassis of different lengths and sizes were made too. Manufacturing kept going normally but MTN Rutland closed down in late 1957 with minor sales during its last 4 months of business and trading.


Main article: Rutland (brand)

See also[]

Advertisement