Malta has long been a destination for British holidaymakers, but it has also been a market for many vehicles imported from the British Isles. Not only cars and buses, but lorries as well. The lorries that made their way to the islands of Malta had generally come to the end of their UK working lives. Vehicle breakers and dealers regularly shipped out significant numbers of lorries, which were then often subjected to the ingenious conversions and alterations that the Maltese are so good at. Tractor units in particular received chassis extensions, sometimes the rear section including axles from other vehicles that have been grafted together to make rigid vehicles (often tippers) into powerful motors. The weights carried in Malta often exceeded the original design weights so more horsepower was needed to cope with the steep hills that exist in parts of the islands. However, older vehicles are thinner on the ground nowadays, especially since the regulations were tightened up following Malta’s entry into the European Economic Community in 2004.
Carl Johnson tells the story of these fascinating vehicles through vibrant images, predominantly from what many consider the halcyon days of the Maltese scene, the 1990s and 2000s.
