Albion
Commercial
Albion FT3 / FT5 / FT7 / FT17 / FT19 / FT21 / FT23
FT3. 1939-1947. Introduced in 1939 to replace the popular Model 127 range, the FT3 was a 5 to 6.5 tonner fitted with a 6 cylinder side valve petrol engine, 4 speed gearbox, overhead worm rear axle and vacuum servo assisted hydraulic brakes. It continued to be available in small numbers to essential civilian users during the war, and remained in production until 1953/54, making it Albion’s longest lived model.
In the late 1940s the standard frontal appearance of all FT series lorries and buses, petrol or oil, looked the same, but the GT3 could be readily identified by the absence of a sump immediately behind the number plate. All FT3 lorries had a 6 cylinder 4.26 liter petrol engine designated EN277.
FT3A. 1947-1954. Around 1947 a number of improvements to the FT3 model resulted in the introduction of the FT3A range, which included engine modifications, and the adoption of axles from the newly introduced Chieftain range.
FT3A6W. 1948-1951. An additional model for the FT3 range was the FT3A6W lightweight six wheeler, effectively a successor of the Model 129 of 1936, and primarily intended for overseas markets where axle loading were critical.
FT5/FT21. 1947-1954. The FT21 was a 3 ton model, introduced in 1949. Originally introduced in 1947 as the FT5 to bridge the gap between the AZ9 and the FT3, the adoption of front and rear axles from the new Chieftain range resulted in the change of model number to FT21 two years later. The FT5/FT21 models were based on the FT3, but with a four cylinder 2.8 litre EN271 petrol engine.
Lighter tire equipment was also specified, and a short wheelbase model was also available. Being the only models in the three ton category, they were kept in production after the Leyland takeover. They did not get the facelifted front with recessed headlamps and flared dash which the oil-engined variants in the FT range acquired in 1949/50.
FT7/FT23. 1947-1954. The other new model for 1949 was the FT23 four tonner, similar to the FT21 except for heavier springing and tire equipment. The FT21 replaced the FT7 after the adoption of Chieftain axles.
Predecessor: Albion Model 127 / 129 & Albion DW1 / DW3