Thousands of visitors enjoyed Truckmania at Beaulieu with a stunning display of more than 200 trucks which attracted 8,500 visitors across the two-day event.
The super-sized celebration of all things truck-related featured a wide variety of tracking activities, with the People’s Choice Award coming in with the unlikely favourite of a Disney’s Frozen decorated truck driven by James Hargrave from Melksham-based Bulk Solutions, which supplies trucks to quarries and farms.
Other airbrushed trucks included themes from Ghostbusters to The Avengers on a collection of Dalton’s trucks, while Marilyn Monroe artwork featured on a Coles & Sons truck on display in the Beaulieu parkland.
Beaulieu Events Manager Judith Maddox said: “The sun shone for another successful show which was enjoyed by visitors and drivers alike. We are already being asked about our plans for next year’s Truckmania.”
Two monster trucks, Big Pete and the Grim Reaper, wowed crowds by crushing Silverlake Automotive Recycling cars and a caravan in action-packed displays throughout the weekend.
More than 400 medals were awarded to visitors who pitted their strength against a Harris Transport lorry cab in Tug-a-Truck, to see how quickly they could haul one over the finish line. In the Beaulieu Truck Pull, Pentalver specialist haulage company beat a team from the British Army to win the trophy.
Truck Agility challenged drivers’ skills as they manoeuvred their cabs around a fiendishly tricky obstacle course in the Beaulieu arena, where Adams Morey also sponsored special displays of prized trucks.
A huge Mini Truck World Pete Daniels Memorial Show recreated the real-life world of road haulage in miniature with remote-controlled trucks in the Grand Marquee. The incredibly detailed display included towns and villages, international road haulage, log-carrying flatbeds and diggers as well as Daleks and Smurfs!
Major trucking companies and manufacturers all attended the event, alongside interesting vintage and veteran trucks such as a Ford Model T truck and a 93-year-old Unic L2 2-3 tonne truck imported last year from St Tropez. Jeff Townsend Livestock trucks from Hythe also showed their beautifully fashioned wooden trailers and the British Army returned to Truckmania with an impressive display of modern combat trucks, designed to tackle any terrain.
Throughout the show, TV trucking personality Mark Dixon met visitors and drivers and discussed all things truck-related with event commentator Kevin Harris.
The National Motor Museum Trust also took part in the show, with children’s creative activities and a display by the Caravans & Charabancs – Leisure Motoring after the First World War commemorative project. Children enjoyed making their own moving caravan journey artwork inspired by the project, which has been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund in partnership with The Caravan Club.
