By Gareth Dunne — July 2026
There is something special about a classic truck. Whether it is a 1970s Foden, a Leyland Marathon, or an Atkinson Borderer, these vehicles have a character and presence that modern trucks just do not match. But character does not excuse poor lighting. If you are running a vintage truck on today’s roads — whether for a show, a rally, or actual haulage work — you need lights that can keep up with modern traffic. Driving a classic truck at night with its original lighting is not just inconvenient, it is genuinely dangerous.
The standard lighting on most classic trucks was adequate for 1970s roads, but by modern standards it is frankly inadequate. Tungsten bulbs are dim, they vibrate to pieces on a diesel engine, they draw heavy current through old wiring, and they fail without warning. A bulb that blows on the M6 at 10pm leaves you invisible to other road users in seconds. The difference between a classic truck with tungsten bulbs and one with modern LED lighting is the difference between a candle and a torch.
The good news is that you do not have to butcher the look of your classic truck to get proper lighting. The trick is finding LED upgrades that match the period-correct style while giving you the reliability and performance of modern solid-state lighting. This is where products like the Strands OG Series come in — retro-styled LED lamps that look like the originals but perform like nothing your grandfather’s Foden ever had. Check out the Strands OG series at https://www.truckelectrics.com/blogs/news/strands-og-series.
The OG Series from Strands takes the classic round-lamp shape that defined trucks from the 1960s through the 1980s and puts modern LED internals inside. You get the same 7-inch round profile with the familiar chrome bezel, but with bright, ECE-approved LED optics that use a fraction of the power and last tens of thousands of hours. No flicker, no vibration-prone filaments, no dimming as the bulb ages. They look right at home on a vintage truck but give you light output that meets modern ECE standards.
Switching from tungsten to LED on a classic truck has practical benefits beyond just better light. The lower current draw reduces the load on your original wiring loom, which is often the original 40-plus-year-old wiring that can be brittle and underrated for modern demands. Less current means less heat in the wiring, which means fewer melted connectors and a lower risk of electrical fires. Some owners also find that the reduced load lets them keep the original dynamo or alternator without needing an expensive upgrade to a modern unit.
But there are a few things to watch when retrofitting LEDs to a classic truck. Not all LED lamps are compatible with the original flasher relay. Old thermal flasher units rely on the current draw of a filament bulb to heat a bimetallic strip and make it flash. LEDs draw so little current that the thermal flasher thinks a bulb has blown and either flashes at double speed or stays solid. The fix is simple: swap to an electronic flasher relay designed for LED loads. They cost about a tenner and plug straight into the original socket.
Voltage compatibility is another consideration. Some classic trucks run 24V electrical systems (most British and European trucks from the 1970s onward), while others are 12V (many older American imports and some light commercials). Make sure the LED lamps you buy are rated for your vehicle’s voltage. The OG Series is available in both 12V and 24V versions, so check before you order. Running a 12V lamp on a 24V system will destroy it instantly.
Think about the full lighting system, not just the headlights. Side markers, indicator repeaters, tail lamps, and interior cab lighting can all be converted to LED for consistency and reliability. An often-overlooked upgrade is adding LED work lights for loading and unloading in dark yards — a massive safety improvement that does not affect the period look of the truck at all. A pair of LED work lights mounted under the body or on the rear chassis makes night-time operations vastly safer.
One final tip: if you are taking your classic truck to shows or rallies in the UK or Ireland, make sure your lighting still meets current MOT requirements. Many period-correct lamps are no longer E-marked for road use. If you are using original Lucas or CAV units, check that they still give adequate output. A set of retro-styled LEDs like the OG Series gives you the authentic look with guaranteed legal compliance. You keep the vintage aesthetic and gain modern safety at the same time.
Your classic truck has earned its place on the road. Give it the lighting it deserves — something that looks right but works better than it ever did when it was new. A few hundred quid in LED upgrades transforms a classic truck from a daytime showpiece into a vehicle you can genuinely use day or night, in all weathers.
