A toy version of the Coventry Climax forklift

Fork Lift Truck Association board member David Woods is searching for a very specific forklift - a Coventry Climax Model 30DA.

Woods wants to use the forklift in a cart marking ceremony, organised by the Worshipful Company of Carmen.

The guild, formed in 1517, reflects all modes of transport and the annual cart marking tradition sees the Lord Mayor of London mark vehicles that ply for trade in the City of London.

A forklift has never participated in the ceremony but Wood was told by the guild that a suitable vehicle may be considered in 2006.

"My reason for trying to find a 30DA is that it is the first machine that Acclaim Handling Ltd acquired as a fleet machine (Woods is managing director of Acclaim). The machine was one I had sold in the mid-1970s as a young Coventry Climax salesman," Woods said.

"It stayed in our business, on our hire fleet, until I stupidly scrapped it 10 years ago.

"This model therefore has high sentimental value to me. If I was able to acquire one I would rebuild it so it was effectively in new condition, use it for the ceremony and then donate it to the National Fork Truck Heritage Centre," he said.

If you can help Woods, email him at david.woods@acclaimhandling.co.uk or phone +44 1708 861414.