Heard from our friend Hans Witte today. He sent me this lovely review of the books, which he wrote for Auto in Miniatuur magazine 
.
Hans has also been in touch with Leo Mes whose photos of Vermeulen NGCs appear on this thread and in the books. He drove 05-17-FB from new and here is a picture of it we haven’t seen before!
It goes with this one 
ERF-NGC-European:
It goes with this one0
If it wasn’t for the signs that looks like it could be any suburban Brit street.
Well 05-17-FB of Vermeulen didn’t perhaps had many miles on the clock, given heavy haulage in the local area,
but as per the pictures this NGC did a good job for at least 14-15 years, which is quite a number for Dutchmen.
ERF-Continental:
Well 05-17-FB of Vermeulen didn’t perhaps had many miles on the clock, given heavy haulage in the local area,
but as per the pictures this NGC did a good job for at least 14-15 years, which is quite a number for Dutchmen.
No hills to puff and pant up ! I understand the PKC model kits have been selling well. Ro
Here are some better quality (than we’ve had on here) photos of Vermeulen NGCs by Leo Mes provided via Hans Witte with permission to post. Ro
An idle thought drifts into my mind (at 02:15 am and a glass of red diesel on the go) - well, it is lock-down! - as follows:
When VIJORE was being formed, Eric Vick evaluated an NGC demonstrator before ordering some. As we know, six went to the VIJORE consortium specifically for Middle-East work, equipped with Kysor, visor, breather pipes etc. These were on P-plates so there is a strong chance the demonstrator was JLG 35N, which was similarly equipped for Middle-East work and was in fact the NGC ‘prototype’ Middle-Easter to all intents and purposes. As we know, it was eventually sent out on a tour of the M/E and was sold out there. Technically, this demonstrator - whether or not it was JLG - is the ghost of a 7th VIJORE NGC. It would have been brand-new at the time of this demonstration. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know the answer but in the bottom of someone’s drawer or attic box (if it didn’t go in a skip 40 years ago) will be a photo and a comment about this demonstrator. Slightly less romantically, it could of course have been KDM 460N of Euro-Test fame, which was also a demonstrator at the time. Hey ho! Ro
Good to keep research sharp on the demonstrators and what happened with them…
What was (it here was) the policy of ERF to enter the continental market (BeNeLux
still was a market of drawbar and trailer very long) with drawbar-units? We only know
about few NGC’s, Thibaut and some French/Italian…but how about requiremnets for
this type of chassis? Switzerland was a real drawbar-country very long…was ERF also
aiming for this sort of markets? Forget about the (sleeper-)cabs as a configuration as
tippers, tar-sprayers etc didn’t really need a sleeper but a NGC had nod day-cabs.
ERF-NGC-European:
An idle thought drifts into my mind (at 02:15 am and a glass of red diesel on the go) - well, it is lock-down! - as follows:When VIJORE was being formed, Eric Vick evaluated an NGC demonstrator before ordering some. As we know, six went to the VIJORE consortium specifically for Middle-East work, equipped with Kysor, visor, breather pipes etc. These were on P-plates so there is a strong chance the demonstrator was JLG 35N, which was similarly equipped for Middle-East work and was in fact the NGC ‘prototype’ Middle-Easter to all intents and purposes. As we know, it was eventually sent out on a tour of the M/E and was sold out there. Technically, this demonstrator - whether or not it was JLG - is the ghost of a 7th VIJORE NGC. It would have been brand-new at the time of this demonstration. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know the answer but in the bottom of someone’s drawer or attic box (if it didn’t go in a skip 40 years ago) will be a photo and a comment about this demonstrator. Slightly less romantically, it could of course have been KDM 460N of Euro-Test fame, which was also a demonstrator at the time. Hey ho! Ro
10
Frustrating not knowing about that one Robert,but we havent done too bad finding them. You never know we still may find out
one day where this one ended up !
Another frustratingly elusive NGC is this one. Punchy Dan posted the advert on another thread. It’s the advert that ‘Saviem’ John referred to, which he’d spotted in Holland. However it still tells us nothing new. This unit still remains No.81 on my register. We still don’t know who owned it, or to whom it was eventually sold. UNLESS, of course, that company’s records still exist somewhere, in which case they’ll show who owned before AND who owned it next (fat chance of that 
!).Ro
EDIT to show which publication Dan found the advert in :
EDIT again, to add - Actually it DOES tell us something new: the dealer’s name and the publication in which the advert appeared! Ro
You’ll have heard about the American Siamese-twins who moved to Britain so the other one could drive. They were truckers who signed on with GL Baker and were given an NGC to drive - stuffed! Ro
ERF-NGC-European:
Another frustratingly elusive NGC is this one. Punchy Dan posted the advert on another thread. It’s the advert that ‘Saviem’ John referred to, which he’d spotted in Holland. However it still tells us nothing new. This unit still remains No.81 on my register. We still don’t know who owned it, or to whom it was eventually sold. UNLESS, of course, that company’s records still exist somewhere, in which case they’ll show who owned before AND who owned it next (fat chance of that1
EDIT to show which publication Dan found the advert in
0
EDIT again, to add - Actually it DOES tell us something new: the dealer’s name and the publication in which the advert appeared! Ro
That’s true but strange Bestebreurtje (as DAF-dealer) from Rijsoord advertised and NOT BEST Truck from Oud-Beijerland as ERF-importer
ERF-Continental:
ERF-NGC-European:
Another frustratingly elusive NGC is this one. Punchy Dan posted the advert on another thread. It’s the advert that ‘Saviem’ John referred to, which he’d spotted in Holland. However it still tells us nothing new. This unit still remains No.81 on my register. We still don’t know who owned it, or to whom it was eventually sold. UNLESS, of course, that company’s records still exist somewhere, in which case they’ll show who owned before AND who owned it next (fat chance of that1
EDIT to show which publication Dan found the advert in
0
EDIT again, to add - Actually it DOES tell us something new: the dealer’s name and the publication in which the advert appeared! Ro
That’s true but strange Bestebreurtje (as DAF-dealer) from Rijsoord advertised and NOT BEST Truck from Oud-Beijerland as ERF-importer
That’s true. But P. Bestebreurtje was, after all, WT Bestebreurtje’s brother so it’s likely that some cooperation existed between them, especially as they combined later to open Best Trucks in Barendrecht, Dordrecht, Europoort and Oude-Tonge. Perhaps they had more capacity at Rijsoord (or were refurbishing premises at Oud-Beijerland or something similar) so the ERFs ended up under a DAF dealership. As you say, it is strange but true! Ro
ERF-Continental:
The wrecker is an Autocar with later a DAF under the hood, hence DAF on the radiator. Bestebreurtje had a DAF-dealership in Rijsoord for both cars and trucks
and later responsible for the import of ERF in Holland in Oud-Beijerland. Paul (Pauw) Bestebreurtje also had a trade in tyres, “Bandje-Verstandje” in Barendrecht.Attached a picture of the wrecker
Paul, in Holland locally also Pauw, had the DAF-garage as well as since 1959 the DAF-dealership for cars and trucks. His brother Wim lived in Oud-Bijerland, very close to Rijsoord, and from his home/office (Rembrandstraat) he started with ERF after ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ “Voortstuwingstechniek” from Dordrecht (later ■■■■■■■ Diesel & Sales) abandoned the ERF-business (as told…a workshop to assemble/prepare/repair diesel engines is a
bit different from repairs to complete chassis) …DAF was possibly not so happy with “a” Bestebreurtje also representing a loyal customer and manufacturer from ■■■■■■■ engines.
From the army-surplus WW2 herewith a picture of their first wrecker…around 1960…as DAF is on the doors. The other wrecker (in the earlier post) is as told an Autocar.
A Mr. Lokerse wrote the family-history on Bestebreurtje (first a grocery, then bicycle-shop, carpenter-work and finally a garage) but with hardly
information on cars and trucks and for sure no mentioning of ERF whatsoever.
The second wrecker (an Autocar with later a DAF under the hood) of Bestebreurtje, that is Paul from the garage.
Picture was not enclosed in the former post so herewith …
ERF-Continental:
.DAF was possibly not so happy with “a” Bestebreurtje also representing a loyal customer and manufacturer from ■■■■■■■ engines.
It’s clear that the big European manufacturers got where they were by stealth protectionism and infiltration of our production and after sales operations.We should have replied with the full fat version by kicking DAF out of our market along with all the rest of them.No chance of that after 1973.
@CF, well DAF was kicked out by first a bankruptcy and second a “take-over” (a symbolic guilder because
of employment versus unemployment) and the rest is history but the GENERAL GROUP of SEVEN survived.
Bear in mind that 2/3 is in hands of MAN/SCANIA, Mercedes-Benz and Americans
ERF-Continental:
@CF, well DAF was kicked out by first a bankruptcy and second a “take-over” (a symbolic guilder because
of employment versus unemployment) and the rest is history but the GENERAL GROUP of SEVEN survived.Bear in mind that 2/3 is in hands of MAN/SCANIA, Mercedes-Benz and Americans
Lots of Machiavellian twists and turns happened later.But the Brits particurarly were taken out in very questionable circumstances of pro Continental Europe geopolitics leading to deliberate sabotage of our product development, placement and marketing strategies and sell outs.With the obvious aim of not making life difficult for the Euros and Scandinavians.At best the usual result was Continental buyout with the aim of closure as happened to Leyland and ironically ERF.
Carryfast:
ERF-Continental:
@CF, well DAF was kicked out by first a bankruptcy and second a “take-over” (a symbolic guilder because
of employment versus unemployment) and the rest is history but the GENERAL GROUP of SEVEN survived.Bear in mind that 2/3 is in hands of MAN/SCANIA, Mercedes-Benz and Americans
Lots of Machiavellian twists and turns happened later.But the Brits particurarly were taken out in very questionable circumstances of pro Continental Europe geopolitics leading to deliberate sabotage of our product development, placement and marketing strategies and sell outs.With the obvious aim of not making life difficult for the Euros and Scandinavians.At best the usual result was Continental buyout with the aim of closure as happened to Leyland and ironically ERF.
Nowt to do with the Euro’s and Scandi’s having been better at making vehicles since about 1940(cars)-1955(lorries) then? If you want to see things taken out in questionable circumstances, have a look at what I just posted on the What Went Wrong thread.
[zb]
anorak:
Nowt to do with the Euro’s and Scandi’s having been better at making vehicles since about 1940(cars)-1955(lorries) then? If you want to see things taken out in questionable circumstances, have a look at what I just posted on the What Went Wrong thread.
Volvo Amazon, BMW New Class, DAF 750 v Wolseley 6110,Triumph 2000/2.5,Rover P6,Jag S type/XJ6.No we had nothing to learn nor any problems there.
As for trucks yes a relatively more retarded market demand than the cars.But it’s easy to see the threat which the NGC, or SA 400, or Bedford TM, posed to the F88/F10 and DAF 2800 if given the right spec by their manufacturers and customers.
As I read it, I think CF’s point is that when we entered the EEC we as a nation tended to do the decent thing and allow protectionism to become unfashionable as it was seen to fly in the face of the spirit of the European Project. As we know France, in particular, and the rest in general continued protectionist practice unchallenged, especially in the automotive industry. If I learned one thing about the project on my travels on the Continent with lorries, it was that EU rules were for silly line-toeing Brits and no one else; the most outstanding example of which is Health & Safety (legion stories of this abound). If we had paid lip-service to the rules like everyone else, we may have had our Sandbach Scanias on every roundabout after all (ish!). That’s my bit of Easter cynicism for the day! Ro
