Nice one Robert, I’ve always liked the early magnums. I was flicking through ‘truck’ magazine the other week, in particular the article about the then magnum prototype the ‘mirage’ , it actually turned out not too dissimilar to the mirage in the end. I like the tallness of the magnum, puts you in mind of the legendary transcon.
In keeping with the m/e period, did merc make any long haul packages for this task at all? Presumably the ng cabbed trucks were used for this work a lot?
harryvr6:
Nice one Robert, I’ve always liked the early magnums. I was flicking through ‘truck’ magazine the other week, in particular the article about the then magnum prototype the ‘mirage’ , it actually turned out not too dissimilar to the mirage in the end. I like the tallness of the magnum, puts you in mind of the legendary transcon.
In keeping with the m/e period, did merc make any long haul packages for this task at all? Presumably the ng cabbed trucks were used for this work a lot?
Cheers, harryvr6.
Yes, the Merc NG was certainly contemporary with the trucks we’ve been talking about. Dunno if they had a LH pack, but loads of them did long-haul work. Robert
I had a Kenworth as a demonstrator when I was doing internals in Saudi in about '79. This was a great truck in comparison to the Saviem I was driving at the time, pulled like a train, didnt overheat. Huge bed. Brilliant really.
But it was a standard build, awful turning circle and hard suspension.
No fridge, no cooker, just drive and sleep.
On a flight home to England I happened to be sitting next to an American who had just bought several hundred buses for the city of Riyadh, I think he worked for SAPTCO.
They were Dutch or Swedish. Can’t remember the make, but we saw many of them over the next few years. I’m sure someone else will know!
He said that the Americans had brought brochures for their yellow ‘school’ buses, and asked how many would they like?
The Brits had done better - they’d imported a Leyland ‘national’ single decker, parked it in Riyadh and invited the company to have a look at it.
The Dutch or Swedish company sent 20 demonstrators a month earlier for SAPTCO to try.
Guess who got the contract!
The Americans and Brits were perhaps not arrogant, but had become used to getting the business by default. Others realised that they had to make a bigger effort - and did!
Don’t remember them for sale on the east coast of SA!
John.
To be fair: the name may have been entirely fanciful and perhaps only sold in US - it was me who made the connection twixt the name and the contemporary scramble to produce the most beguiling cab at the time. Coincidence? Perhaps! Robert
I am reliably informed that Ford’s long haul cab was known as “The bridal Suite”…
Eric Wilson, owner of Birdale International Transport from Maidstone ran this fine example!
Magirus Deutz “PULLMAN” long haul cab as operated by Bob Carter (Trans UK Haulage)…
I have no interior pics but was reliably told by Bob, that the cab included a sink, fridge, cupboards and air conditioning.
Wow, some great material flooding in now! That centaure certainly looks the part. It’s now thrown up a question to you experts really: which came first, the centaure or the volvo globetrotter?
Great thread you’ve got here Robert! But what was the best cab to have then? I would put my money on the Volvo F10/12.
Cheers, Patrick
We’ll have to leave the answer to that to the experts, Patrick! Although I did plenty of long-haul work, the only ‘special’ fitted-out cab I ever occupied was that Harrier F12 GT on UK frigo work. All my long-haul stuff was done with standard sleepers.
Fast wind to more modern times, and I’d say that one of the best cabs I had for distance work was a Stralis (brilliant driving posistion too, but shame about the Eurotronic)!
