Man who owns two fire trucks opens up on the unique experience of owning and maintaining them
Published on May 09, 2026 at 3:55 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on May 09, 2026 at 3:55 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
One lucky man is the owner of two fire trucks, and he has opened up about what it is like owning and maintaining the two emergency vehicles.
The trucks belong to Stuart and his wife, and they have a long-standing history of service in the fire service, so they mean a lot to the family.
These two trucks are from the 1970s and 2000s, and represent very different eras of emergency vehicles.
Owning them is a bit different from a regular classic car, and as Stuart explained to Will from Resto Revival, it is an experience like no other.
Why Stuart bought the two fire trucks
The two fire trucks in question are a 1978 Dennis R Series and a 2002 Dennis Dagger.
Both come from a very different world, when iPhones and AI weren’t part of everyday language.
Dennis was one of the main builders of fire trucks in the UK for decades.
Stuart explained in the video how he had a deeply personal connection to the fire service.
His dad was an on-call firefighter, and Stuart and his brother followed him into the fire service.
The 1978 Dennis R had an even more personal connection for the family.
“That was the first fire engine my dad rode on when he joined the service, the actual one,” said Stuart to Resto Revival.
Stuart had actually been friends with its owner for many years before he was finally able to buy it.
Meanwhile, the 2002 Dennis Dagger is also quite special.
“This is the last fire engine Dennis developed before they stopped making fire engines, and only built 14 of them,” explained Stuart.
These are the challenges of owning the two trucks
The two vehicles regularly make appearances at automotive shows across the UK.
In fact, Stuart’s wife actually drives the Dagger, and does so frequently at shows.
There are, of course, plenty of challenges to owning and maintaining the two vehicles.
While lights and sirens can be used on private property, they can’t be turned on when on public roads.
The trucks also need to be stored undercover and have regular servicing and maintenance.
But for the most part, maintaining the classic vehicles isn’t too difficult.
“It’s no more aggro than owning a classic car,” explained Stuart.
“Some parts are a little bit harder to come by, and everything is just a little bit bigger,” he added.
So while there are some challenges, it seems that owning these British fire trucks has been a real blast for Stuart.
Dennis fire truck timeline
1895: John and Raymond Dennis establish Dennis Brothers in Guildford, initially focusing on bicycle manufacturing
1908: The company builds its very first motorized fire engine for the Bradford Fire Brigade
1908: Dennis revolutionizes the industry by introducing the highly efficient centrifugal turbine water pump
1939: Production shifts heavily to build thousands of portable trailer pumps for wartime service
1950s: The iconic F series is launched, often featuring powerful Rolls-Royce engines and enclosed cabs
1970s: The R series is introduced, bringing modernized fiberglass crew cabs and automatic transmissions
1980s: The Dennis SS series enters production and becomes a standard workhorse across many UK brigades
1990s: The company launches the highly successful Sabre and Rapier custom fire appliance chassis
2001: Dennis becomes part of TransBus International, and overall fire engine production begins to scale back
2007: After over a century of legendary service, the final Dennis fire engine rolls off the production line
Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
