A hobby that grew into a serious business. Enthusiast Peter Janszen of Dutch Firetrucks in Anloo now sells about fifty old fire trucks per year.
It all started for Janszen in 2014, with an old animal from Linz, Austria. “We weren’t really bothered by the knowledge at the time, we didn’t know much about it, but the advantage of an Austrian car is that they don’t spread salt there. So the fire engines are better preserved.”
This hobby eventually grew into a serious business where he traded dozens of cars per year from Anloo. “Especially during the corona period, it was busy with people who wanted to convert an old fire truck into a camper. And that is still the customer’s main wish.”
Driving around in an old fire truck seems to be becoming increasingly popular. But surprisingly enough, according to Janszen, the owners have little interest in the emergency service and did not necessarily dream of a job as a firefighter as a small child. “There are too, but there are not that many.”
For Janszen himself there is one car favorite and he does not want to sell it for anything. “This is the Lieverdje from 1972,” Janszen explains. “He comes from Tuchtfeld, Germany, a village with two hundred inhabitants.”
He points to a beautiful shiny Volkswagen van on the property behind his house. “All the original booklets are still included. And until three years ago this car was still in service. It is difficult to imagine that until recently you could still see this old beast in action? Then you think: I am in Panasplit?”
The enthusiast from Anloo is not thinking about stopping for the time being. “There are still plenty of fire stations in Germany and Austria that even have cars from the sixties. So I will continue until I can’t do it anymore. It’s way too much fun.”