What do you think of when you picture a lorry? Perhaps one of these lorries from popular culture. They might not wear giant sunglasses or have punch-ups with the paparazzi, but that doesn’t make these superstars any less well known.

From the Coca Cola Christmas haulage truck from the TV ad to the mysterious characters of the tongue twister ‘Red Lorry Yellow Lorry‘, here is a reminder of some of the most famous trucks, lorries and general haulage vehicles of all time.

1. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

Originally a British tongue twister, you may be interested to know that ‘Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’ is also a rock band that was formed in Leeds in 1981. Whilst there are no known lorry or lorries attached to the phrase, this is certainly a famous lorry concept which is entrenched in the British psyche. Red lorry yellow lorry red lorry yellow lorry … It’s even hard to type!

2. Long-distance Clara’s juggernaught

As the song goes,

Long Distance Clara, shifts the gears

Long Distance Clara, she safely steers

Long Distance Clara, slams on the brakes

Long Distance Clara, accelerates

Long Distance Clara driving round the bend

Hot dinner waiting at her journeys end

Long Distance Clara, driving down the road

Always on time and never late

• Part of the theme tune to the adorable pre-school cartoon ‘Pigeon Street’.

3. Fire Engines

Ok, so we don’t really call them ‘lorries’, but we sometimes call them ‘trucks’, and that’s really what they are. The real hero in the world of over-sized vehicles, this red bundle of bravery is like a giant red angel, transporting fire-fighters to the scene of the blaze and providing them selflessly with access to the burning building with its trusty ladder, water with its hose and a whole host of other equipment for battling the flames.

4. Coca Cola Christmas Truck

You remember the ad with all those beautiful Christmas - themed haulage trucks? Perhaps this will jog your memory:

‘Holidays are coming, holidays are coming

Tis the season

Watch out, look around

Something's coming, coming to town

Do do do do do

Always Coca Cola.

Something magic, in the night

Can't you see it, shining bright!

La la la la la la la la la la

Holiday refreshment's what we bring

Tis the season, it's always the real thing!

Always Coca Cola!’

• A heart-warming Christmas treat which almost makes up for a million rotting teeth.

5. Optimus Prime and the Transformers Movie

The basis of the film is as follows: a long time ago, far away on the planet of Cybertron, an alien civil war was being waged between the two races of robots - the noble hero Autobots led by the wise Optimus Prime, and the devious evil Decepticons commanded by the dreaded Megatron - for control over the Allspark, a mystical talisman that would grant unlimited power to whoever possessed it. For some reason, the Autobots and the evil Decepticons are able to change into a variety of objects, including cars, trucks, planes and other technological creations, but tend to spend their time masquerading as enormous haulage trucks when inhabiting the Earth.