Iconic lorry firm founder Eddie Stobart dies aged 95
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The creator of the UK's most famous truck company has passed away at the age of 95.
Eddie Pears Stobart, founder of the transportation company Eddie Stobart, passed away on November 25. He started the business in 1946.
He was born in 1929 in Cumbria and started his company in the 1950s to sell fertilizer. He famously painted his first truck in the iconic colors of post office red and Brunswick green.
Starting in 1973, it was Edward, his son, who transformed the company into a multimillion-pound transportation empire and a unique part of British culture after he took control.
Staying true to the green and red design of the trucks, he grew the business into an international logistics company with 1,000 vehicles by the time he sold it in the early 2000s.
Edward, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 56, continued his father’s custom of giving the trucks names inspired by women. The initial four trucks were named after the model Twiggy, as well as the singers Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Suzi Quatro.
Drivers were encouraged to beep their horns in response to waves from others, leading to many participating in the trend of “Stobart spotting” on the highways of Britain.
A biography titled *The Eddie Stobart Story* was released by journalist Hunter Davies, and the company even inspired a song. The Wurzels honored the 25th anniversary of the company in 1995 with their track, "I Wanna Be an Eddie Stobart Driver."
At one point, there was a fan club dedicated to Eddie Stobart that reached a remarkable 25,000 members.
The business, now known as Stobart, is currently under the ownership of the Culina Group, and they have stopped naming the trucks.
As reported in an obituary in The Times, Mr. Stobart maintained that he would not have chosen to name the company after himself if he had foreseen it would gain national recognition.
A dedicated Christian, Mr. Stobart first encountered his future wife, Nora, during a Bible rally in Carlisle. They tied the knot on Boxing Day in 1951.
After retiring from his trucking business in the 1970s, the couple settled near Carlisle and became engaged members of their local church.
The couple welcomed four kids: Anne, John, Edward, and William. Mr. Stobart is remembered by his daughter and son, William.
