A recovery vehicle, or breakdown wagon, is the type of truck you hope you will never need. Unfortunately, they are an integral part of everyday life and are to be seen in various forms attending breakdowns and road traffic accidents.

From the beginnings of mechanised transport there has always been the need for towing disabled motor vehicles, and the earliest recovery was carried out by real horse power. In time, most urban and rural garages would have an old car converted as a towing vehicle, parked in a corner awaiting the call for help. As motor vehicles became larger, so did the recovery vehicles, right up to heavy lorry and bus conversions that could handle the transport of the time. Specialist recovery companies were set up for towing and transport of disabled vehicles, while local garages maintained an ability to deal with customer breakdowns and accidents. Recovery trucks have evolved into large multi-wheeled vehicles with up to five axles, equipped with custom-built equipment, including cranes and heavy-duty winches. Some of these vehicles are the most spectacular sights in road transport.

Showing a wide variety of vehicles, Bill Reid celebrates Britain’s road recovery vehicles in a selection of rare and previously unpublished images.