Lot details
Registration No: 79 CYA
Chassis No: 123F25A22
Mot Expiry: None

By the mid 1950s, Dennis Brothers Ltd of Guildford was alone among its rivals in eschewing proprietary chassis frames, bodies and fire fighting equipment. The last British firm to make complete fire appliances and / or fire engines, its high-performance F-Series had debuted in 1946. Launched a decade later, the F24 and F25 were differentiated by their transmissions (the former utilizing an automatic gearbox and the latter a manual one). Based on a 10ft 9in wheelbase the pair slotted into the existing Dennis line-up between the shorter F8 and longer F12 machines. As with any model in the range, potential purchasers could not only specify what type / capacity of pumps they wanted fitted but also dictate the shape / size of cab and locker doors etc. According to the Fire Service Preservation Group, '79 CYA' is "a very important vehicle in the history of the British fire service". One of only two Dennis F25 fire appliances known to have survived, it is most unusual in being fitted with a Dodge 250ci (4.17litre) straight-six petrol engine rather than a Rolls-Royce B80 unit. Apparently one of five appliances that were supplied new to the Somerset County Fire Brigade in October 1958, it is understood to have served with the Dulverton and Cheddar Fire Stations for some twenty years. Briefly requisitioned by a large Birmingham factory to act as an on-site fire tender, '79 CYA' passed into private ownership during the 1980s. Exhibited at various shows over the next two decades, the F25 was reportedly treated to a restoration in July 2006. MOT and road tax exempt, it is described by the vendor as being in "good overall" condition (though, he notes that the fuel gauge does not work). A wonderful period piece, this ultra-rare Dennis is offered for sale with copy factory build sheets and sundry restoration photographs.