ERF-Continental:
robert1952:
It has to be remembered that the NGC didn’t need all sorts of variations: it was built as an export Euro-spec premium tractor. Everything else was covered by other ERF models: 6x4 units, domestic 32-tonners, heavy-haulage machines etc. You could have these other units with metal MW cabs if you wanted. And you could choose an NH250 or even a Gardner if you wanted. So the NGC remained to the end a pretty pure beast, it seems. Almost all the variations were retro-fitted by customers who could have had chosen one of those alternative models. Just because Phil Horridge put a 350 ■■■■■■■■ 13-speed Fuller and coach-diff in his NGC doesn’t necessarily mean it should have been in ERF’s catalogue! RobertEXACTLY!!!
On Carryfast’s question I point out that when you imagine a diabolo, the upper (funnel) part is the group of Suppliers (■■■■■■■■ Gardner etc, Fuller, David Brown etc, Kirkstall, Hendrickson etc) together with ERF, pushing and pulling for technical solutions in which the suppliers had a major goal to push their new/modified products to gain figures on sold numbers.
ERF did quite well to spec (with some options) the NGC next to the other range-participants, three-, four-axles etc. The lower part of the diabolo is the group of importers/distributors and the market represented by the interested transport companies/owner-drivers. We ‘only’ speak
of gross 100 chassis produced/sold (which is quite good for that time-frame) but standard that didn’t suit all end-users on the continent, that’s why earlier remarks were made with the trivial
and controversial outcome: low(er) fuel-consumption versus high(er) speed, what your business requires and then discussions on (excluded) non-spec-warranties could be expected.On the type-approval the importer/distributor should offer each modification (as ERF Ltd. didn’t arrange with possibly very good reasons) to the road-inspection (government-controlled) and for their customers the importer/distributor often applied the former approval (PVA~COC) to serve the customer. ERF was apparently not very keen or happy with that way of working but sales preveals as often.
To ERF: I assume (and highly respect your knowledge) you speak for Great-Britain when it comes to returns to vendor/supplier in case after the NGC left for the continent changes were made.
Remember that CDB was by far the largest in re-assembling and selling ■■■■■■■■ Fuller and Hendrickson with regard to also White/Autocar with > 1.000 chassis (tippers,mixers,tractors) exported towards the Middle East. They didn’t return such major components to ERF at all.
I hear ERF-sales shout to grant a nice discount and keep those components on the continent!!!
That’s an interesting post! It seems that CDB had a fair bit of autonomy when it came to meeting the needs of customers. One example of this would be that despite ERF’s reluctance to supply 335-powered NGCs with 13-sp Fullers, CDB was able to supply the only two I know about (though the De Meulemeester unit may have been retrofitted with it at a later date by the haulier). I would have thought, too, that it is highly likely that CDB carried out the conversion of the Eyckmans NGC to 6x4, given that they would have had new and second-hand Hendrickson equipment on White chassis to hand. Robert