According to John (Saviem) he saw an advertisement and also made notes on the
olive NGC but ‘conflicting’ (or at least strange) is the fact that both Van Marion of
Hellevoetsluis (Rotterdam-region) and Bestebreurtje of Rijsoord were DAF-dealers.
Son Jan Bestebreurtje did start up the ERF-business in Oud-Beijerland (close to the
Bestebreurtje garage in Rijsoord) and it is possible that Van Marion and Bestebreurtje
somehow did a deal though both having a stake in DAF-sales? Perhaps a trade-in?
Well, I hope to get more confirmation and even more a picture from my source soon.
Attached picture (shows some more olive green) is taken in front of the Van Marion-
garage as can been seen with the DAF-logo’s. Van Marion doesn’t exist nowadays but
Bestebreurtje is an active and wellknown DAF-dealer (by the name of BESTtruck) of
the Rotterdam-area.
ERF-Continental:
According to John (Saviem) he saw an advertisement and also made notes on the
olive NGC but ‘conflicting’ (or at least strange) is the fact that both Van Marion of
Hellevoetsluis (Rotterdam-region) and Bestebreurtje of Rijsoord were DAF-dealers.
Son Jan Bestebreurtje did start up the ERF-business in Oud-Beijerland (close to the
Bestebreurtje garage in Rijsoord) and it is possible that Van Marion and Bestebreurtje
somehow did a deal though both having a stake in DAF-sales? Perhaps a trade-in?
Well, I hope to get more confirmation and even more a picture from my source soon.
Attached picture (shows some more olive green) is taken in front of the Van Marion-
garage as can been seen with the DAF-logo’s. Van Marion doesn’t exist nowadays but
Bestebreurtje is an active and wellknown DAF-dealer (by the name of BESTtruck) of
the Rotterdam-area.
The edge between bulk and sacked cargo as the Dutch were strong in agricultural.
The tipper had a more than wide-spread to my humble opinion, I guess Burg-trailer.
ERF-Continental:
Meanwhile I again got a confirmation that Damco Goedkoop & De Geus had more sub-contractors
with NGC’s in their fleet. Names of wellknown transportcompanies as Van Marion and Jawico have been mentioned and I’ve been promissed full support on pictures. Hence Willemstein was not the
‘only’ doing chemicals (hazardous materials) for ICI with NGC’s. Fingers crossed …
@Deanb…first of all compliments regarding your article in the French magazine! I am
confident sooner or later some input and feedback will come as most French are keen
in hoarding memorabilia.
My first feedback on the Damco-GG in relation to the NGC is that indeed VAN MARION
did had one which also might proof the other OLIVE colour before it did service in the
(blue/yellow/white) livery for Damco GG. Now (still) fingers crossed for pictures and
info on the driveline, registration etc.
By the way…I didn’t forget the request for the Thibaut ERF (with trailer) but I had put
it away to well and with again a removal oncoming…I will do my best.
A-J
Good stuff,lets hope your contact finds some photos ! Look forward to seeing the Thibaut ERF once you
have moved.
Van Marion seem to have 3 different colours to there trucks. Yellow is definately the main colour but they
also have a fair amount red and from what i have seen the olive green is the colour least used. Maybe the
red and green ones were painted in customers colours. As you say ERF-Continental being a DAF dealer it
would appear from what i have seen that 95% of the fleet is DAF with the odd Volvo,Mercedes,Iveco etc.
Therefore it is possible they also tried ERF !
They are now finished although they seem to have done alot of middle east back in the 1970s.
@Dean…Van Marion was (first a N.V. = Ltd and later a B.V.) active as a sort
of ‘holding’ saying that both transport, sales and further trade were covered.
To be honest, I don’t know them being active in M/E-transport but in the 70’s
transport became more open to those countries. The olive green reminds me
as John (Saviem) spoke about it as an offered chassis in trade but more likely
the König-chassis (we now all know about) was meant.
As said, fingers crossed for more evidence, by text and by pictures and I think
we finally filled the ‘gap’ towards the near 100 chassis ERF assembled of NGC’s.
I will email you on the Kenworth Aerodyne with literature available.
Some more good news today. Richard Pountain has kindly sent me a picture for Book 3. Obviously, I can’t stick it on here but I can describe it! It is a very good, clear picture of HNV 59N in his own colours - not actually the livery of his working fleet, but with a red chassis and plain unwritten white cab. It is seen in the picture with a matching, specialist race-trailer. Apparently, it was used to attend truck-racing meetings all over Europe (makes sense: ERF fleet - LHD ERF for the European work). In addition, I now have more information about this vehicle’s chequered career. Richard bought it from Vee & Inline Diesels of Daventry; and sold it on to Watts Trucks BEFORE it eventually passed to Redcap Transport. Now as this was an unusual model, officianados of truck racing must have more pictures of this lorry at European events - more leads for the NGC detectives out there!
Prepare to be amazed! Thanks to Cookie, I have just watched an absolutely fascinating twenty-minute documentary made by Freelance Directors Productions, called ERF 1974, in which television’s John Burke interviews Peter Foden about the company. The film also features footage of ERF trucks out on the road – including various LV-cabbed models, fire-engines and even a 4MW. Peter Foden mentions that they were struggling to meet demand. The film shows various stages of the production line at Sandbach, including cab and engine installation. There is some marvelous footage of A-series and very early B-series artics undergoing punishing high-speed trials on the MIRA test track and the road haulage proving grounds. Further footage shows the ERF service & parts workshops at Middlewich. Various still shots of 4/5MW-cabbed units are slipped in.
The most exciting aspect though, for me, was the presence of NGC ‘Europeans’ throughout the film. A 4x2 tractive unit in primer hovers in the background in some shots and John Burke demonstrates the interior before climbing down. Another NGC in factory rocket-red and white is seen in the wind tunnel undergoing fluttering tag and smoke tests. A third NGC appears with its grille up in the parts workshop at Middlewich. A still picture of one of Van Steenbergen’s NGCs is also screened. Finally, a short road run filmed from the interior of an NGC accompanies a brief interview with one of the testers.
robert1952:
Prepare to be amazed! Thanks to Cookie, I have just watched an absolutely fascinating twenty-minute documentary made by Freelance Directors Productions, called ERF 1974, in which television’s John Burke interviews Peter Foden about the company. The film also features footage of ERF trucks out on the road – including various LV-cabbed models, fire-engines and even a 4MW. Peter Foden mentions that they were struggling to meet demand. The film shows various stages of the production line at Sandbach, including cab and engine installation. There is some marvelous footage of A-series and very early B-series artics undergoing punishing high-speed trials on the MIRA test track and the proving grounds. Further footage shows the ERF parts workshops at Middlewich. Various still shots of 4/5MW-cabbed units are slipped in.
The most exciting aspect though, for me, was the presence of NGC ‘Europeans’ throughout the film. A 4x2 tractive unit in primer hovers in the background in some shots and John Burke demonstrates the interior before climbing down. Another NGC in factory rocket-red and white is seen in the wind tunnel undergoing fluttering tag and smoke tests. A third NGC appears with its grille up in the parts workshop at Middlewich. A still picture of one of Van Steenbergen’s NGCs is also screened. Finally, a short road run filmed from the interior of an NGC accompanies a brief interview with one of the testers.
Robert
Good stuff Robert, look forward to seeing it hurry up and get it copied !
I wonder if the pic i put on a while back was taken at the wind tunnel ?
robert1952:
Prepare to be amazed! Thanks to Cookie, I have just watched an absolutely fascinating twenty-minute documentary made by Freelance Directors Productions, called ERF 1974, in which television’s John Burke interviews Peter Foden about the company. The film also features footage of ERF trucks out on the road – including various LV-cabbed models, fire-engines and even a 4MW. Peter Foden mentions that they were struggling to meet demand. The film shows various stages of the production line at Sandbach, including cab and engine installation. There is some marvelous footage of A-series and very early B-series artics undergoing punishing high-speed trials on the MIRA test track and the proving grounds. Further footage shows the ERF parts workshops at Middlewich. Various still shots of 4/5MW-cabbed units are slipped in.
The most exciting aspect though, for me, was the presence of NGC ‘Europeans’ throughout the film. A 4x2 tractive unit in primer hovers in the background in some shots and John Burke demonstrates the interior before climbing down. Another NGC in factory rocket-red and white is seen in the wind tunnel undergoing fluttering tag and smoke tests. A third NGC appears with its grille up in the parts workshop at Middlewich. A still picture of one of Van Steenbergen’s NGCs is also screened. Finally, a short road run filmed from the interior of an NGC accompanies a brief interview with one of the testers.
Robert
Good stuff Robert, look forward to seeing it hurry up and get it copied !
I wonder if the pic i put on a while back was taken at the wind tunnel ?
Yes, it was - Anorak did comment on it at the time, if you remember! Robert
Incidentally, I’ve worked out that those pictures floating around of HNV 59N with a plain white cab and blue chassis must have been taken after it left ■■■■■■■ and before it went to Pountains. This means they may have been taken when it was with Vee & Inline Diesels or indeed when Pountains first acquired it but had yet to repaint it . Robert
DEANB:
Robert, do you know anything about Vee & Inline diesels ? Sounds like somewhere you would take a truck for
repair rather than them owning one ?
No I don’t. It occurred to me that they may have been truck dealers on the side and that HNV simply passed through their hands rather than was operated by them. Robert
A masterly discovery. Well found there, sir! Robert
