TROOPER2:
Fiat 697NP - (35. UC. 4) - (Belgium):
0
Van Hool made excellent semi-trailers and quality coach-bodies. This was presumably their in-house wrecker (depannage = breakdown). Ro
Hi all, most of the early Italian Unic and Fiat were left hand drive a lot in the photo’s just before showed it.
ERF-NGC-European:
TROOPER2:
Fiat 697NP - (35. UC. 4) - (Belgium):
0Van Hool made excellent semi-trailers and quality coach-bodies. This was presumably their in-house wrecker (depannage = breakdown). Ro
They still make quality coaches and trailers and it is their in-house wrecker.
They were (still are?) the main distributor of Fiat Trucks in Belgium.
On february 15th both Van Hool and FIAT agreed on a sort of joint-venture, meaning that Van Hool
applied engines, gearboxes, axles and steering-systems from FIAT for bus-purposes.
Van Hool had benefits from the FIAT-deal as in august 1958 the 100rd chassis Van Hool-FIAT was as-
sembled and sold. Only three years later followed by the 500th chassis. Van Hool was in charge for
the coach-(bodywork) and had a keen sales-force in Belgium and even Holland.
Apparently FIAT like the agreement and in 1961 CATRABEL N.V. was established, meaning that from
then Van Hool had the exclusive rights for representing FIAT-commercial vehicles for Belgium.
In 1965 a sort of group on INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES was formed but unknown what the real activity was.
In 1981 the co-operation between Van Hool and FIAT ended, perhaps because of IVECO?
I will search for some documentation and for some customers, think of Coulier, Van Hool or Catrabel
had good results with FIAT-chassis. OM by the way was represented by Podevyn from Vilvoorde.
michel:
Fiat 615N near Aubrac country in France.0
Hi michel,
I’ve nipped into your post and re-sized the picture so the lads can get refunds on the 6’ monitors they’ve just been ordering. 
ERF-Continental:
On february 15th both Van Hool and FIAT agreed on a sort of joint-venture, meaning that Van Hool
applied engines, gearboxes, axles and steering-systems from FIAT for bus-purposes.Van Hool had benefits from the FIAT-deal as in august 1958 the 100rd chassis Van Hool-FIAT was as-
sembled and sold. Only three years later followed by the 500th chassis. Van Hool was in charge for
the coach-(bodywork) and had a keen sales-force in Belgium and even Holland.Apparently FIAT like the agreement and in 1961 CATRABEL N.V. was established, meaning that from
then Van Hool had the exclusive rights for representing FIAT-commercial vehicles for Belgium.In 1965 a sort of group on INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES was formed but unknown what the real activity was.
In 1981 the co-operation between Van Hool and FIAT ended, perhaps because of IVECO?
I will search for some documentation and for some customers, think of Coulier, Van Hool or Catrabel
had good results with FIAT-chassis. OM by the way was represented by Podevyn from Vilvoorde.
Oeps…my post started strange…as I skipped the year that Van Hool and FIAT started a joint-venture.
It was February 15th of 1957 so about 24 years of co-operation between a coach-/-cab-/- and bodybuilder
and a wellknown truck-manufacturer, with also their own bus-programm. My humble opinion is that this
joint-venture was mutually win-win but on the side of trucks Van Hool had hard competition with Fiat (as
per John/Saviem with Berliet, DAF and the Swedes) and in fact a small network for service in Belgium.
Leonard Lang of Apeldoorn Holland had the same ‘problem’ when it came to trucks…but verybody thinks
FIAT was very familiar on every corner of the street, which is true for cars and vans.
ERF-Continental:
ERF-Continental:
On february 15th both Van Hool and FIAT agreed on a sort of joint-venture, meaning that Van Hool
applied engines, gearboxes, axles and steering-systems from FIAT for bus-purposes.Van Hool had benefits from the FIAT-deal as in august 1958 the 100rd chassis Van Hool-FIAT was as-
sembled and sold. Only three years later followed by the 500th chassis. Van Hool was in charge for
the coach-(bodywork) and had a keen sales-force in Belgium and even Holland.Apparently FIAT like the agreement and in 1961 CATRABEL N.V. was established, meaning that from
then Van Hool had the exclusive rights for representing FIAT-commercial vehicles for Belgium.In 1965 a sort of group on INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES was formed but unknown what the real activity was.
In 1981 the co-operation between Van Hool and FIAT ended, perhaps because of IVECO?
I will search for some documentation and for some customers, think of Coulier, Van Hool or Catrabel
had good results with FIAT-chassis. OM by the way was represented by Podevyn from Vilvoorde.Oeps…my post started strange…as I skipped the year that Van Hool and FIAT started a joint-venture.
It was February 15th of 1957 so about 24 years of co-operation between a coach-/-cab-/- and bodybuilder
and a wellknown truck-manufacturer, with also their own bus-programm. My humble opinion is that this
joint-venture was mutually win-win but on the side of trucks Van Hool had hard competition with Fiat (as
per John/Saviem with Berliet, DAF and the Swedes) and in fact a small network for service in Belgium.Leonard Lang of Apeldoorn Holland had the same ‘problem’ when it came to trucks…but verybody thinks
FIAT was very familiar on every corner of the street, which is true for cars and vans.
Hey,
In Belgium Fiat Trucks sold very well, from large to small hauliers, it was like Henschel everyone had at least one or more in his fleet, of course, point 1 Vanhool had a finance system like a kind of leasing today.
Point 2,The price was very attractive, 3 Fiat’s for 2 Scania’s, You can say they were in the top 5 of best sellers, in the '60’s. In the '70’s it went fast downwards because of pour quality, and never came back, it stayed till today as the lowest sold truck, but there smale trucks sales are very well, as daily, and the vans as semi tractors. But everyone which have today a Iveco are satisfied with it, but has still its bad name behind. A bit like Renault which continued the Berliet division, but sales are much beter as Iveco.
Eric,
This still existing fleet in Belgium owned Fiat 682T2, why the logo is 682N2 ?
michel:
This still existing fleet in Belgium owned Fiat 682T2, why the logo is 682N2 ?
Indeed, the N2 is a 14 tonnes rigid truck, when the T2 is a tractor; both with the same 152 bhp engine and produced 1955-63. A suggestion is that this tractor may initially have been a rigid truck the chassis of which was shortened to make a tractor. Or perhaps, some parts of its cab were changed after an accidents using spares from a N2?
Froggy55:
… Or perhaps, some parts of its cab were changed after an accidents using spares from a N2?
By the look of the vehicle, its driver has the need for a regular supply of cab parts.
152bhp/30+ tonnes. Things must not have needed to happen quickly in post-war Italy.
Other fleet with Fiat in Belgium.
[zb]
anorak:Froggy55:
… Or perhaps, some parts of its cab were changed after an accidents using spares from a N2?By the look of the vehicle, its driver has the need for a regular supply of cab parts.
152bhp/30+ tonnes. Things must not have needed to happen quickly in post-war Italy.
That was the normal power output for artics in these days. Berliet’s 35 ton artics were powered by a 150 bhp (SAE, that being some 130 bhp DIN) engine until 1959 when it was upgraded to 180 bhp using the MAN injection. I think that, in the UK, some 30+ tonners were still powered by the 150 bhp Gardner 6 LX as late as the early 1970s. The Fiat 682 was 152 bhp DIN. I like that Fiat cab, which remained in production in Italy until c. 1970, and much later in Africa!
Fergie47:
Odds
Interesting trucks there! The first must be a Lancia Esagamma; initially a conventionnal 8x4 with an extra rear steered and mabe liftable axle. Under the red nose, either a 270 or 340 bhp V8. Unic’s V8 wasn’t the same as Fiat’s, which was also fitted on OM trucks.
Guy Robaye used to own an Iveco truck garage in Belgium; a truck enthusiast, he preserved a few trucks, mainly Unic.
Left is Swiss Unic enthusiast Moritz Thommen and his 3466 prototype, fitted as a camper van. Right is Mr Lorin, another Unic enthusiast, who ran an Unic garage (today Iveco dealer) near Montargis (center France), and his refurbished 6x6 wrecker. He died a few monts ago.
Froggy…what year would that red nose be…and to have a 270 or 340 motor, what a beast, but they always did look powerful even parked up…wish I’d moved to here when I was 21… 
Here’s a pre-WW II Unic CD 3, powered by a 120 bhp diesel made under Daimler-Benz licence
After the War, this cab was fitted (1947-54)
More here about the 1954 range:
fondationberliet.org/ressou … cabine-zu/
270 bhp SAE is about 240 DIN, by my guesswork. King of the road in 1966.
What a super vehicle this is:
flickr.com/photos/21437618@ … 8/sizes/h/
The extra height made all the difference to the appearance of the Fiat cab, IMO.
Fiat - M 1029 - Malta Education Department:
Am I correct in assuming that Borsani is the name of the bodybuilder ?
OM super-orione with a V8 engine, a lot are still used in Argentina and Uruguay.
