About This Website
The UK Vehicle Recovery Website was created to preserve the history of Britain's vehicle recovery industry and the people who helped build it.
Drawing upon photographs, documents, trade publications, personal recollections and many years of research, it records the development of vehicle recovery from its earliest days through to the modern professional industry we know today.
The website was originally conceived as a place to save photographs and information that might otherwise be lost. However, it soon became apparent that preserving the industry's history required more than pictures alone. The stories, innovations, organisations and personalities that shaped vehicle recovery were equally important and deserved to be recorded.
Although much of the material originates from the author's own collection, the website has benefited enormously from the contributions of recovery operators, motoring organisations, manufacturers and friends throughout the industry. Their assistance has helped create a record that is far richer and more accurate than any one person could have produced alone.
About the Author
My involvement with vehicle recovery began during the 1960s and has continued throughout my working life. During that time I have witnessed the industry's transformation from a largely informal trade into the highly skilled and professional service it is today.
Much of my career was spent with National Rescue, one of Britain's best-known independent recovery operators. This provided the opportunity to work alongside many of the individuals, organisations and manufacturers featured throughout this website and to experience first-hand the changes that shaped modern vehicle recovery.
Later, through Motor Trade Software (MTS), I became involved in the development of recovery management systems including Garage Manager and the Turbo Dispatch communications standard. These projects helped introduce new technology into an industry that was rapidly evolving and seeking greater efficiency.
Alongside my commercial activities I have been involved with a number of industry organisations, charities and preservation projects. These have included work with AVRO, the Institute of Vehicle Recovery (IVR), the Recovery Industry Support Charity (RISC) and various heritage organisations, including Brooklands Museum.
This combination of practical experience, industry involvement and historical research has provided a unique opportunity to record not only what happened, but also many of the people and events behind the story.
More recently I became involved in the campaign to improve the safety of roadside recovery operators. Working alongside Peter Carroll of Tendo Consulting, Dave Gregory, Richard Goddard, Derek Firminger and many others, I helped support the Campaign for Safer Roadside Rescue and Recovery (CSRRR) and the formation of the associated All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).
The campaign experienced a number of setbacks and disappointments along the way, but ultimately contributed to a significant change in legislation, allowing recovery operators to use rear-facing flashing red warning lights when stationary at incidents. For many within the industry this represented an important recognition of both the risks faced by recovery operators and the vital service they provide. The image below show Sam Cockerill and myself with the BBC Breakfast team following the announcement allowing recovery operators to use rear-facing flashing red warning lights when stationary.
Sources and Contributors
Although much of the material presented on this website originates from my own records and experiences, it has benefited enormously from the assistance of many others. Recovery operators, motoring organisations, manufacturers, industry journalists and friends have generously contributed photographs, documents, recollections and corrections over many years.
In some cases they supplied information about events that took place long before I entered the industry. In others they helped confirm dates, identify vehicles, people and locations, or provided alternative perspectives on events that I personally witnessed.
Their contributions have helped make this website a far more accurate and complete record of the industry's history than could ever have been achieved by one person working alone.
To everyone who has supplied information, photographs, encouragement or constructive criticism over the years, my sincere thanks.
How You Can Help
The history of vehicle recovery is still being written and there are undoubtedly many photographs, documents and stories that have yet to come to light.
If you can identify people, vehicles or locations shown on the website, spot an error, or have photographs, documents or recollections that would help improve the archive, I would be delighted to hear from you.
One of the pleasures of maintaining the website has been hearing from former operators, patrols, manufacturers and enthusiasts who have been able to add to the story and preserve details that might otherwise have been lost forever.
Every contribution, no matter how small, helps ensure that the history of the vehicle recovery industry is preserved for future generations.
Contact
If you would like to contribute information, provide corrections, identify photographs or simply get in touch regarding any aspect of the website, please contact:
Andy Lambert F.I.V.R.
[andy@andylambert.com]