I remember from the distant past a TRUCK magazine centrespread featuring this truck, I think with either/or a helicopter hovering overhead or some scantily clad women in silk bomber jackets draped over the front. This shows my advancing years rather worryingly…anybody else have this plastered on their bedroom wall as a kid■■?
It brings to mind some of the more obscure and now unseen marques such as berliet and Saviem, both I believe distant outposts of the Renault empire at some time or another. Here are a few other period pieces from the same lineage.
Was this a joint venture with Ford in the 70’s?
…and this a joint venture with MAN in the late 60’s??
The first picture is the one they called the Turboliner. Gauthiers had several of
these still when I joined them in 1999 on drawbars. I drove them from time to
time and they were surpisingly roomy. Although not flat floored I could stand
on the engine hump with no difficulty and even had to reach a bit to open the
sunshine roof
Even a 6 and a half footer would not be stooping.
chorcheela:
Was this a joint venture with Ford in the 70’s?
Don’t think so, I think Ford bought the cab for the Transcon later and added a
couple of inches to the height.
…and this a joint venture with MAN in the late 60’s??
Yes, and it had a horrible column change lever that could trap your fingers
against the dash. The early MAN versions suffered from the same
horribility.
Third one down we had one at COLLINSON Bros CHOPWELL about 1976–7
Savium badged 280 renault engine If I remember rightly Had 12 spd column chg but was a bit of a pig got a kit & changed it to floor change still a pig allthough for its day it was a nice roomy cab with mock leather interior also very quiet.
We also had one of those Romanian built MAN ROMAN same cab & geabox but smaller engine Acttualy nice to drive but would`nt pull the old wotsit back.
GE ARMSTRONG of Durham had a couple of them Bierlets cant remember what they had in them but basicly they were Renault
Yep! the Turboliner was a very roomy truck especially coming when you had just come out of a G290 which shared it’s cab design with the Volvo F7.
These are Eddie Snax piccies, but I drove for the same type of trucks for the same company.
I believe Berliet and Saviem were both going under and were nationlised and therefore renamed as Renault, but the designs kept running for many years after that with only minor updates until they were replaced by the Premium.
This example, running in France, has a V8 Berliet engine, although being a later model is badged as a Renault, according to the text with the photo, the cab was used for over 20 years on various models.
The cab was probally phased out in 1996 when the Premuim was launched, although they updated the model with different dashboard bit more wrap around instead of the old dials in bit of flat metal. it was a bit dated at the end I got a new low cab version called the Highliner in 1994, it did have a few things it did have plenty of cab space although lacked storage space and had blinds instead of sunvisors and net blinds on the side windows, which meant that you could pull them down a bit and still see the mirrors.
muckles:
The cab was probally phased out in 1996 when the Premuim was launched, although they updated the model with different dashboard bit more wrap around instead of the old dials in bit of flat metal. it was a bit dated at the end I got a new low cab version called the Highliner in 1994, it did have a few things it did have plenty of cab space although lacked storage space and had blinds instead of sunvisors and net blinds on the side windows, which meant that you could pull them down a bit and still see the mirrors.
You’ve just reminded me about the blinds. Look at the first two pics, you can see the metal wire frames for the blinds in the windscreen, I seem to remember this was something that coaches had, because of their taller windscreens. Renault were probably on to a good idea there.
Spardo:
The first picture is the one they called the Turboliner. . I drove them from time to
time and they were surpisingly roomy. Although not flat floored I could stand
on the engine hump with no difficulty and even had to reach a bit to open the
sunshine roof
Even a 6 and a half footer would not be stooping.
:
Yes i can agree with all the above even the 6 footer bit Plenty of storage if you included the top bunk, and the lockers over the screen where deeper than those in the Premium that i drive now, and the floor flatter aswell.
I wasnt impressed when i was evicted from the Turboliner(as seen in Muckles post), and given a Concusion cabbed Premium to replace it, even though it was brand new
Does anyone remember the TRUCK centre spread I was referring to?
1978 I reckon…
No but if anyone wishes to post it, I’m sure we’ll all enjoy having our grey matter stired
The first pic is a prototype of the Turbo Liner called Lesauntor this truck had a radio casset,CB,Tv,Hot and Cold running water,cooker,Air Con,Electric Windows,no windows in side or rear of cab,roof sky lights(with curtains),movable spot lights on wing mirrors I think only 3 were ever made,they showcased the all new power plants and foward thinking of the Renault Heavy Truck Divison,Only 1 in right hand drive I slept in the truck when I was a kid as my Dad worked for Renault Manchester as the Demonstrator driver and would bring the trucks home
Did you notice the spot lights on the sides of the roof?? you could adjust them from inside the cab!! the 356 was only put into the LHD units the RHD had the 305
I think
Big Dorris:
the 356 was only put into the LHD units the RHD had the 305
I think
I was led to beleave that the V8 lump wasnt put into the RHD chassis right through out the “R”/ Turboliner/ Highliner lineage. Due to the V8 being a tight fit under the cab on the left hookers, and without considerable redesign to allow for gear linkages and steering box being on the other side it would simply not fit. Renault didnt consider there to be a big enough market in the UK for such a powerful truck dont all laugh at once, the V8 was rated at at least 420bhp when I was driving the Turboliner in Muckles post “95” which was well up with a lot of your Volvo Scania offerings. Renault might just have missed the boat there
Big Dorris:
Correct the 305 was a straight 6, and the 420 V8’s usually came in a metallic maroon color
Now that makes a penny drop, the company whom I used to work for that ran only renaults a few pictured in muckles post had a maroon R 310 on a C plate and a G290 on a an E plate in maroon also, when I first worked for them, all subsequently painted boring white with red sign writing.
it was a bit dated at the end I got a new low cab version called the Highliner in 1994, it did have a few things it did have plenty of cab space although lacked storage space and had blinds instead of sunvisors and net blinds on the side windows, which meant that you could pull them down a bit and still see the mirrors.
even the 6 footer bit 
Plenty of storage if you included the top bunk, and the lockers over the screen where deeper than those in the Premium that i drive now, and the floor flatter aswell.
dont all laugh at once, the V8 was rated at at least 420bhp when I was driving the Turboliner in Muckles post “95” which was well up with a lot of your Volvo Scania offerings. Renault might just have missed the boat there 