Welcome to our Vehicle Recovery Website

Background: Welcome to a celebration of Vehicle Recovery in the United Kingdom. Here you will find out, how the industry was formed, as well as reading the recollections of some of those involved. There is also a collection of Pictures and Videos, of Recovery Vehicles, Recovery Operators and the Incidents they dealt with. You can also find out about technology behind the industry from Turbo Dispatch through to ANS. The 'History of Vehicle Recovery' section deals with the emergence of the Motoring Organisations (or Clubs), like the AA, RAC and National Breakdown. Plus the formation of today's multimillion pound Breakdown, Rescue and Recovery industry. It also deals with Crane and Towing equipment manufactures and along with other suppliers. Lastly, there is information about the formation Recovery Operator's Associations like AVRO, The RRRA and the formation of the IVR.

The recovery vehicle in the picture, dates from the thirties and belongs to Dorking Autos. The Sixties RAC uniform is in stark contrast to the modern protective clothing, as worn by most recovery operators today. It is also very easy to see the difference in the equipment used to carry out recovery work, but many of the differences of the last fifty years, are not so obvious. You will however, have a much better understanding of them, if you explore this website and see how it all came about.

Finding your way around: At the top of the page along with the 'History' link you will see ones for 'Gallery', 'Memories', and 'Media Links' The History link leads you to a comprehensive history of the birth of modern vehicle recovery and takes you to around the year 2000, by which time most of the major changes had taken place. The Gallery link takes a collection of vehicle recovery images from over the years and Memories is for Recovery Operators to tell their story and it starts with the web-master’s fifty years in the industry. Lastly Media Links takes you to some links that may be relevant to you if you are interested in vehicle recovery and includes links to some old and modern recovery videos.

Some of the things you will find on this website