Fire Engines Photos

Remember Matchbox toys made a model of a fire engine based on a Rolls Royce. This was based on a real vehicle converted to a fire engine at Bonnallacks in Forest gate East London. I tell the full story here

www.e7-nowandthen.org/2018/07/bonallacks-coach-builders-of-forest-gate.html

Added by Petros on 31 January 2026.

As far as I know, there are no less than three Rolls Royce fire engines from this era in preservation in Switzerland. A second one has similar lightly modified limousine bodywork, while the third is a custom fire engine body. In the thirties it was quite common in Switzerland to adapt large American limousines to serve as fire tenders, and - in addition to British Rolls Royce examples - several American Cadillacs were also used too. Some of these monsters are also in preservation. In Britain too, before the introduction of ATVs, large (and often American) cars were used by the AFS to tow trailer pumps in the early war years, along with numerous contemporary London taxis.

Added by Rob Johnson on 31 January 2026.

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