Fergie47:
Stacked twin headlights on this old Bernard…
Evening all,
Fergie, I am amazed at your picture collection! Transports Galetti, from Eygliers, Guillestrois, in the Hautes Alpes. If you saw the routes that their vehicles used to traverse, well, you would see why they ran Bernards back in the 50s and 60s. Most of the passes had a loose gravel surface, and a bit like the “Steps” on Cenis, just stone markers showing the edges, a driver really needed good steering, and brakes to stay on the road…particularly @35 tonnes all up with a single, or double compartment liquid tank doing its very best to throw you over the edge!
Bernards were loved for there utter reliability, (due in no small measure to their licence built Gardner engines), as well as stable suspension, great brakes, and pin point steering…and superb driving enviroment offered by Royanne`s Pelpel, Version, 1,2, or 3. Let alone the exotica by Frappa…but by the late 50s early 60s, Bernards rivals were pushing the boundaries on power towards the 200 hp mark, (Berliet, Willeme, Unic), and the “Gentleman of the Route”, seemed a little archaic and slow…
Eduard Bernard had passed control on his demise to his sons. New thinking, new goals, new ideas…enter the Levrier, (Greyhound)…an all French 200 hp 35 tonner, (except for its German ZF Gearbox)…
Gentlemen, we are back in 1957, (just look at what GBs manufacturers were offering at that time)…Bernard offered a contemporary looking stacked four headlight streamlined bonneted 4x2 35 tonne unit, very modern in appearance, a stark contrast to its previous long bonneted examples. And what sat under that bonnet? An all French V8,12.648cc, 120 x 140mm, 4 valve per cylinder, 200hp @2200 rpm, 80mkg torque @1800rpm,direct injection…and Air Cooled!
Designed and produced by the French company Alsthom, conceived by their engineers Ollier, and Grosshans, primarily as a power unit for Generators, and Railway use…yet Bernards sons adopted this engine as their power unit of choice to replace the 185 hp Gardner design…and it was 1300kg heavier, than its water cooled predecessor!
With its 5 speed ZF box, it had a claimed 45 litre per 100km diesel consumption, at 35 tonnes gtw. A major Tour de France was undertaken prior to its launch in 1957…half way through one engine had to be rebuilt…and production units were fitted with pure aluminium pistons rather than the bi metal early ones.
The engine was simply too heavy to fit into Bernards 26 & 19 tonne offerings, they stayed with Gardner designs, (under Charbonneaux`s beautiful curved pre Television cabs by Pelpel.
The Levrier simply wrecked the reliable reputation of Bernard amongst its faithful operators. Overheating of the rearmost cylinders, excessive oil consumption, and low levels of reliability, this railway engine was simply out of its depth in a road haulage enviroment. Many Levriers were re motored with ■■■■■■■■ Detroit, and one certainly with an AEC .690…but this was the disaster that plunged Bernard into the arms of Mack…who in turn simply could not grasp the culture, and requirements of Bernards clients…and by 62 all was history!
Bit like Atkinson trying to force its clients to take the Viewline…and Mack with the Superliner…
Lovely little company Galetti, I think that they were still running in the 90s, had some wonderful photographs of their “real” Bernards!
Sammyopposite, that fat Dutc Police man would never have cought me in that Goggomobile…except in my first LK powered Foden!
Super posts on tractors and aeroplanes. Seemed to be a French trait in having redundant aircraft as a feature. Somewhere Ive pictures of a Sunderland Flying Boat that was cut in half horizontaly, and bought back to the UK by Ukon Trucking, and Allwood Transport of Cheltenham. Rescued from its former use as a Bar Restauraunt, and I think that she ended up on the Solent as was restored…anybody know more??..Then there was a Caravelle outside Avignon…
Cheerio for now.