The former managing director of both Leyland DAF Trucks and Leyland DAF Vans, David Gill, has passed away at the age of 80.
He joined Leyland DAF in April 1990 as commercial director, responsible for truck sales, parts and service, and dealer management, having left Iveco Ford, where he had been marketing director.
Within 18 months he had been promoted to managing director of Leyland DAF Trucks UK and, by January 1992, had also assumed responsibility for Leyland DAF Vans.
However, these were challenging times. During David’s first 30 months in charge, the UK truck market had virtually halved in size by the time Leyland DAF went into administration in February 1993.
Despite that formidable challenge, over the next seven years he was instrumental in the company’s recovery. He helped mobilise customer and dealer support, secure new orders during a difficult transition period, and provide structural stability — all of which contributed to Leyland DAF regaining UK market leadership by 1995, a position its successor, DAF, has maintained ever since.
He was an inspirational leader with an extraordinary capacity for mental arithmetic and meticulous planning. A true marketing professional, he was passionate about the importance of building a brand and frequently spoke of how “motorway market share” mattered. His encyclopaedic knowledge of the truck market also gave him remarkable insight into emerging trends in road transport.
Admired by customers, dealers and employees alike, he was known for his ebullient and often forthright style. Despite failing health in his later years, he continued to lead from the front with confidence, pride and authority. He finally retired on health grounds in 2000, having brought the newly christened DAF Trucks Ltd safely into the arms of PACCAR, with Kerry McDonagh taking on the role of MD.
For commercial vehicle journalists, he was quite simply the font of all market knowledge, always willing to sit down for a “short chat” that frequently turned into a masterclass on where the market was heading, who was buying what and why, and the sector niches that remained to be exploited.
At Iveco Ford, he launched the annual State of the Nation truck market review, analysing SMMT commercial vehicle registrations and providing valuable insight into the UK truck market, while also demonstrating just how successful Iveco Ford Trucks was within it.
As one former colleague described him, he was “the brains behind the business”. David Gill will be greatly missed by all who knew him and had the privilege of working with him.
