Saviem's fan club (Part 1)

[pv83]

robert1952:
Amen to that ^^^! Just found this: a completely random picture taken through my windscreen in France in 2004. It appears to be a French mark 1 DAF 85 with a tilt. I hope it had an Eaton Twins-splitter (a lot of the early ones did!). Robert

0

That’s already a mkII Robert, if you look closely enough you will see that the extra letters CF are added in the grille, and that the amount of BHP is on the door, while the mk 1’s had that added in the grille as well, just as the bigger brother, the 95…
You’re right about the 'box though, the “early” ones could be fitted with a Twin splitter, after the update to CF and XF the only weapon of choice was a ZF 'box and later on when they changed letters and numbers, that horrible auto 'box came as an option…

Cheers, Patrick

[harry_gill]

pv83:
Some great images once again (as usual one might say), with some…er…odd looking cabs…

But how about this one, saw this “vehicle” couple of weeks ago (not the one pictured, borrowed this one from the www, but it’s to give you an idea) on the M1not to far from Scotch Corner going southbound, absolute hideous looking thing… I don’t know about the one I saw coming past, but didn’t Mercedes had one designed somewhere in the mid 80’s? Was that just a stunt or was that something they really gave some serious thought about? If so, it proves that the Germans have got some sense of humour indeed

Cheers, Patrick

Hiya,
They’d have to supply me with a disguise or I wouldn’t take it out of the yard.
thanks harry, long retired.

[pv83]

harry_gill:

pv83:
Some great images once again (as usual one might say), with some…er…odd looking cabs…

But how about this one, saw this “vehicle” couple of weeks ago (not the one pictured, borrowed this one from the www, but it’s to give you an idea) on the M1not to far from Scotch Corner going southbound, absolute hideous looking thing… I don’t know about the one I saw coming past, but didn’t Mercedes had one designed somewhere in the mid 80’s? Was that just a stunt or was that something they really gave some serious thought about? If so, it proves that the Germans have got some sense of humour indeed

Cheers, Patrick

Hiya,
They’d have to supply me with a disguise or I wouldn’t take it out of the yard.
thanks harry, long retired.

Makes you wonder what that bloke was on when he designed it, vast amounts of LSD I reckon… or some strong lager…
And what about the handling? I for one wouldn’t be to keen on taking that out for a drive…

[newmercman]

Yes Fergie, it’s off the www. I got it from a French version of this thread, along with the others I’ve posted in the last few days. I always message the admins before I copy pictures out of politeness, like you, I put my own personal pictures on forums and suchlike in the hope that people find them interesting, if they like them that much that they share them on other sites/pages then I’m glad, it means I did take an interesting photo in the first place.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

[robert1952]

pv83:

robert1952:
Amen to that ^^^! Just found this: a completely random picture taken through my windscreen in France in 2004. It appears to be a French mark 1 DAF 85 with a tilt. I hope it had an Eaton Twins-splitter (a lot of the early ones did!). Robert

0

That’s already a mkII Robert, if you look closely enough you will see that the extra letters CF are added in the grille, and that the amount of BHP is on the door, while the mk 1’s had that added in the grille as well, just as the bigger brother, the 95…
You’re right about the 'box though, the “early” ones could be fitted with a Twin splitter, after the update to CF and XF the only weapon of choice was a ZF 'box and later on when they changed letters and numbers, that horrible auto 'box came as an option…

Cheers, Patrick

Yes of course: I’d completely forgotten that the first CFs retained the original 85 appearance! Robert

[saviem]

Morning all,

The sheer frustration of poor internet access drives me to absolute despair…and the total lack of interest by my ISP, plus that most un client focussed operation, Openreach leads me to the conclusion that I would be better using a Carrier Pigeon!..oh, we have tried a dongle as well…and our farm would appear to be off limits for that technology as well!..Yet the bills still find us!

So I will be brief, (as I will probably be unable to get this post to “go”…given my lack of success over the last couple of days…

Some interesting operators there Mark, that broken DAF, from SAVAM, ( Henri Grossetete abbreviated his 1960s founded operation," Soissonnaise dachat, et dvente dematerial",) to a more easily remembered SAVAM, and ran arguably France`s largest volume haulier in the 60s and 70s, from its base in Soissons, Aisne. Here they also had the DAF concession, as well as warehousing, and the volume transport operations.

The company was floated on the Bourse, and came to the attention of the UKs United Transport Industries, who took over control. The fleet was totally DAF, 1600/2005/1621/2105, until the 90s when a few Volvo F12s entered service. The drawbars started out @90 cu metres, then grew to 120/125 cu metres…slow old things, even with light loads!

SAVAN then passed into the control of Rentokil Initiall Group,…and thence into Norberts operation, which became France`s largest volume transport operator.

The VIT, (Valenton International Transport SM300s with the encased mobile homes on their Trailor Tilts were actually operated by VITs sub contractor Don Jose Collona of Paris, and were the first artics to be used by VIT. The mobile units were supplied to both Mossul in Iraq, as well as into Kurdistan, as school buildings. NMM shot shows two of Collonas drivers with their female companions, (it was company policy with VIT, that you could take your spouse with you on long trips, or if the spouse was left at home, then any domestic problem, she called VIT for help…it was all about maintaining concentration on the job in hand.

VITs main fleet was comprised of Burg swop bodies on SM 300 V8 Saviems, but their subcontractors numbered over 30 operations, (how else could they complete on average 1000 movements each year into Iraq)? Collana`s operation passed into the direct control of the Amand brothers VIT on the tragic suicide of Collona.

Transports Bernis, another Moyen Orient operator, and a superb company. They were also Saviem Agents, and perhaps I should write a little more about them,

But I’m off to the fields, and just hope that this post goes!

Cheerio for now.

[saviem]

Afternoon all,

Back for more" go go juice"…and a couple of thoughts regarding SAVAM, and VIT that occoured to me whil`st “Tractor bound”…

United also came to own Transports Chapuis, the Lyon Vennissieux based haulier who ran France / Lagos, Nigeria, as well as Moyen Orient. They had some rather tasty 6x4 Saviem tractors for the long distance work.

That picture of the VIT stickers on Collonas SMs must have been 75 ish, going by the fleet number. Collona, although an Italian based in Paris, had extensive interests in both Greece and Italy,which provided return loads for the VIT vehicles that were not returning from Iraq with Saviem stillages etc. The beauty of the Burg swop bodies was the efficiency in having pre loaded modules at each end of the trips.

Collonas death in an apparent suicide created a great deal of speculation at the time. with all sorts of stories springing up. However VIT did then invest in articulation,simply due to the volumes of traffic that they were handling with the "lignes" to Alfa Romeo in Italy, and MAN sites in Germany. But as I wrote some time ago about VIT, the Saviem/Berliet merger, and the Israil attacks on Iraqs , (French), Nuclear facilities, then the demise of the Saviem Iraq facility, hit them hard.

That Stouff SM 300 V8 was engaged in aid work following the Turkish Earthquake. Then came their big push for traffic to the Middle East, and the acquisition of 440 TR280 266hp Berliet units. There are a legion of tales around Stouff, many true, many, (as ever) total exagerations, but there is no doubt that their activities had a major impact on French Moyen Orient traffic.

Just a quick word about the Colani Concept vehicles…Odd to our eyes, but just look how many of his ideas have found there way onto production commercial vehicles…the raised gear consul being just one. His, and the brains of his design studio are very innovative and free thinking, what constrains the conceptual designer today is not the potential manufacture costs, but the burden of legislation, that forces design down the route dictated by the “chair bound beurocrat”.

My friend the late Pat Kennet drove one of Colani`s initial concepts, and although of necessaty it was rather rough around the edges, he told me that the basics were bang on, and a leap in the right direction…but Pat was a good driver, who happened to be an Engineer, and a blooming good journalist as well!

Cheerio for now.

[michel]

Magirus Jupiter from Coing.

[fergie47]

Lovely morning, breakfast with a view…just thought I’d share it…

[rigsby]

beautiful view but where is the breakfast ? don’t tell us you eat flowers for brekkie .

[harry_gill]

Hiya,
Could do Riggers’, they do have some funny platters oer’t watter frogs an snails are
just a couple and some of their cheeses are something else, clothes peg on the end
of the nose before putting it anywhere near your mouth is essential but after even
saying that I am partial to a saucer of newly cooked winkles, Jen where’s my pin.■■
thanks harry, long retired.

[fergie47]

rigsby:
beautiful view but where is the breakfast ? don’t tell us you eat flowers for brekkie .

Snails and garlic bread for breakfast this morning…naaaaa, kiddin,…couple of pain aux raisins, and filter coffee…luverly…

Ten old ladies, not looking their best…

[sammyopisite]

I would like to thank everyone who posts and makes this thread one of the best on Trucknet

cheers Johnnie P S sorry it is a bit late but I have not been on much lately

[harry_gill]

Fergie47:

rigsby:
beautiful view but where is the breakfast ? don’t tell us you eat flowers for brekkie .

Snails and garlic bread for breakfast this morning…naaaaa, kiddin,…couple of pain aux raisins, and filter coffee…luverly…

Ten old ladies, not looking their best…

Hiya,
Still no wiser as to what you had for brekkers my friend my parles vous francais is limited to oui.
and I’ll lay Lincoln odds I’ve spelt that wrong.
thanks harry, long retired.

[lawrence_dunbar]

Harry Im quite partial to Escargots with a touch of Garlic, Then washed down with a Fine Chardonay, Have you ever tried them? Regards Larry.

[kerbut]

Snails and Garlic bread is exactly what we had last night as the starter with our dinner.

[newmercman]

Not a fan of the snail myself, I’ve no problem with cheese though, unless it’s that plastic crap this lot over here insist on spreading over everything.

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[kevmac47]

Tyne Tees Run, Sunday.

[harry_gill]

Lawrence Dunbar:
Harry Im quite partial to Escargots with a touch of Garlic, Then washed down with a Fine Chardonay, Have you ever tried them? Regards Larry.

Hiya,
Larry, I only ever having reached the rank of lorry driver never to achieve the adulation
of being a haulage contractor the best I’ve done with that sort of thing is plastic tray of
Tubby’s whelks bought down the Smoke at Gardeners Corner when held up due to a taxi
driver hooking his cab on an Atki front bumper I tried swilling them down with a can of
Cola but was still chewing the bloody things climbing up Archway, but I am as previously
stated partial to a few “willocks” and a can of lager on Whitley Bay Promenade.
thanks harry, long retired.

[michel]

A Berliet TLM 10 with a tank semi-trailer in 1954 from Coing company.