Alan David Hurley 1943-2025

Published: 13/08/2025

Historic Commercial Vehicle Society (HCVS) Chairman, Fraser Clayton, has kindly provided this obituary of David Hurley, and we thank him for his permission to reproduce it.

It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Life member David Hurley (Member No. 8) who passed on 6th July aged 82.

In the very early days of the then HCVC, David administered the Club's member vehicle insurance scheme, in the days when it was very difficult and unusual to insure large historic commercial vehicles, eventually handing over the role after many years to an insurance broker. 

l joined the HCVC in 1971 when I purchased my ex-LT double-deck bus and approached David regarding vehicle insurance which he arranged and he also very kindly offered to drive the bus from LT's Clapton Garage for me and we had been friends ever since. 

David was also on the HCVC Council of Management in the late 1960s/early 1970s and he was our Registration Officer dealing with the DVLA on behalf of the Society. He also played a key role as Chairman of the Legislation Committee of the FBHVC for many years liaising with the HCVS.

He had several PSVs in his own private collection including the 1935 Albion Victor coach originally owned by King Alfred Motor Services of Winchester which has now passed to the Friends of King Alfred Buses. 

He had a special interest in Surrey Motors Coaches who had been based in Sutton, having lived in their operating area for many years and travelling on their coaches in his youth, and he was very proud of his very original 1951 AEC Regal Harrington bodied coach ex-Surrey Motors and also his 1960 Harrington bodied AEC Reliance/Cavalier again ex-Surrey Motors. 

He was also very interested in Harrington of Hove Coachbuilders and was the main organiser of several very successful ‘Harrington’ days at Amberley Museum. 

David had a wealth of knowledge especially regarding the histories of many PSVs and this knowledge will now be sorely missed. And, he was of course a judge at Brighton for many years. 

Our sincere condolences go to his wife, Jenny, and sons Chris and Michael and his four grandchildren. 

David's private family funeral will probably already have taken place by the time this is published. 

Historic Commercial Vehicle Society (HCVS) Chairman, Fraser Clayton