The Nubian was a 3-ton Thornycroft vehicle available as a 4×4, 6×4 or 6×6. Its multi-wheel drive made it a natural basis for airport fire engines, and it was one of the three models that survived the company’s takeover in 1961.
Thornycroft Nubian at a glance
| Maker | Thornycroft, Basingstoke |
|---|---|
| Type | lorry and specialist chassis |
| Payload | 3 tons |
| Drive layouts | 4×4, 6×4, 6×6 |
| Typical body | airport fire engine, crash tender |
| Company strength | fire engine chassis with multi-axle drive |
| Kept after 1961 | yes, with the Antar and Big Ben |
| Survivors | preserved Dublin Airport crash tender |
The Nubian appears in the list of Thornycroft lorry models on the English Wikipedia article about the manufacturer; there is no separate article on the model, so this page is based on that one source.
History of the Thornycroft Nubian
A multi-wheel Thornycroft
Thornycroft built coaches, buses and trucks from 1896 until 1977, and from 1931 it gave its vehicles descriptive names. In the lorry list the Nubian is described as a 3-ton vehicle available as a 4×4, 6×4 or 6×6 — a light chassis on one, two or three driven axles rather than a single-purpose goods lorry.
Fire engine chassis
The company was well known for providing fire engine chassis with multi-axle drive for uses such as airports, and a limited number of 4×4 chassis were supplied to the Worcester fire engine manufacturer Carmichael for sale to civilian brigades in the 1950s. The Nubian’s choice of 4×4, 6×4 and 6×6 layouts put it at the centre of that work; preserved Dublin Airport crash tenders show the type in its airport role.
Into the Leyland era
Thornycroft was taken over on 1 March 1961 by AEC’s parent Associated Commercial Vehicles, and production was limited to the Antars, Big Bens and Nubians. ACV itself was taken over by Leyland in 1962. Vehicle production at Basingstoke ceased in 1969, when work moved to Scammell at Watford.
Design and features
- Three drive layouts: the same 3-ton vehicle could be had as a 4×4, 6×4 or 6×6.
- Airport fire chassis: multi-axle drive suited crash tenders and airfield appliances.
- Civilian fire brigades: 4×4 chassis supplied to Carmichael of Worcester in the 1950s.
- Long-lived model: one of only three Thornycroft models kept in production after 1961.
Thornycroft Nubian versions
- Nubian 4×4: the two-axle all-wheel-drive form, also the basis of the Carmichael chassis.
- Nubian 6×4: three axles with two driven.
- Nubian 6×6: three axles, all driven.
- Crash tender: fire appliance bodywork on the multi-wheel chassis, as on preserved airport examples.
The Nubian was joined in the Thornycroft lorry range by the Sturdy 5/6-tonner, and the company’s passenger side is covered by the Thornycroft Nippy. More vehicles are in the Thornycroft collection.
Video: ireland 015.AVI Preserved Dublin Airport Crash Tender
Video by Barrie Green on YouTube.
Sources
- Thornycroft, English Wikipedia: model list, drive layouts, fire chassis, 1961 takeover
