BEST 'ERGO' ?

tiptop495:

Carryfast:

kr79:
Im sure ive read on other threads on here that the lp range of mercs were often jokingly refered to as ■■■■ atkinsons

I think it was a better product by the standards of the day than a 500 powered ERGO. :unamused:

img.fotocommunity.com/photos/14751164.jpg

Hey, I’m not sure if everything was better, LOOK at the cardboard underneath the engine :laughing: :laughing:.
You compare here it with the worst engine (500) but have not all nowadays overhead cameshafts and gear at the back. But some years before the 0680 was the better engine as Mercs OM326 which had even no direct injection. And only a few years later the first Merc direct injection OM346 was even worse as the P680 in our Daf’s.
The biggest bugbears were the closed markets look at spain or Italy the haulier had to buy what was built at home,we had the same here with electic things all built but never developed. Of course the Germans are clever men but built bad things too look at Krupp and other. And wasn’t Britain, that was a pioneer in adventing the industial area BUT never developed further.
Yes it was the better,but a big fuel waster and underpowered even with a V10 engine. But the Germans had always the hands on bigger comfort,even this here has a finishing coachbuilder’s touch. In the beginning of the LP cab,MB couldn’t deliver the longer sleeper and was done by coach-builders. Because that was the standard of the Germanen buyer (the haulier), here we had to sleep on the seats for the odd night out. And most sold here had the shorter sleeper, all depends from country to country. In the UK you could sleep in a warm café couldn’t you?? the Germans were allowed to take a hotel in bad conditions, and we were allowed :angry: to sleep on the seats without a nightheater in winter. It only became better when there was a shortage of drivers in the '80’s with nightheaters,but lots had to be pleased with the very inflammable stove or to lug with gasbottles .

Cheers Eric,

The Germans in general have always been just average engineers compared to the Brits but somehow managed to invest loads more money in it’s industries especially in the post war years and it’s that investment which has always been reflected in it’s products.Whereas the Brits have always been better engineers but for some reason,unlike Germany,the banks have always been hostile to investment in British industry by comparison.To the point now where the British manufacturing industry has effectively been wiped out.It’s just that ironically it was our own bankers that did it not Hitler.As for the flaws contained in German trucks Mueller obviously knew that which would explain why he seems to have helped to make sure that the future British competition would more likely to be along the lines of the 500 ERGO rather than a 700,TL12,Rolls or ■■■■■■■ powered 3 VTG.With a lot of help from Leyland’s bean counters of course. :bulb:

However from the point of view of the workers and the different European economies and the individuality of their products closed markets are a good thing not a bad one and it was the British market’s exposure to large scale imports,at least since we joined the EEC/EU,which was the final nail. :bulb: