CDC's Iconic 'Leading Lady'
June 5, 2024
As your no.1 stop for all truck accessories, it's fair to say that trucks are never far from our minds.
Ever since CDC was founded back in 1973, we have always taken an interest in the more unusual trucks that we come across.
When it comes to unique trucks, few are more iconic than our very own Scania 143 V8 3 Series, nicknamed Leading Lady.
The origin of the Leading Lady
Built in 1989, the Leading Lady was originally owned by Graham Cordiner, before CDC purchased it from Tyre Tracks in the early 2000s. Its previous owners had commissioned the custom paint job that became synonymous with the Leading Lady.
Modified inside and out
Working with Graham over a period of six weeks in 1989, we helped him to realise his vision for the Leading Lady by supplying stainless steel accessories including bumpers, exhaust stacks, light bars and trims - among other things - at a cost of around £9,000.
Graham's vision also included a luxury velvet interior and a paint job featuring exotic birds and parrots on a white background.
When Tyre Tracks purchased the vehicle, they had it renovated to include a hot water shower and double bed in the cab, as well as commissioning the custom Leading Lady paint job that fans still remember today.
The Scania 3 Series was also stretched, which made it even more unique and noticeable.
Synonymous with TruckFest
Nowadays, dozens of customised Scania trucks descend on TruckFest every year. This wasn't always the case, though.
The Leading Lady was one of the first customised Scanias to be on display at TruckFest, much to the admiration of the thousands of visitors that support the show every year.
It became a popular sight at the annual shows, attracting crowds year after year and winning several awards including being named best in show at the event for five consecutive years.
The Leading Lady was even used as the chosen vehicle at weddings on a couple of occasions!
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