It was going north on M40 with DAF cab.
Just thought you might be interested.
Been a while since I last saw one 
I have been wondering what happened to these since I came back to driving. Did they disapear due to a change in regulations?
Phil
Been a while since I last saw one! Blakes (now Corby Chilled) in Alcester used to have two Chinese 6 ERFs, they got rid of them approx 10 years ago!
This was a flat.
They make a lot of sense if you do multi dropping or have a front mounted crane as they remove the chance of overloading the front axle.
when i was running a rigid on steel, i continually looked for one to buy but didn’t see one for sale in ten months of looking! and i’ve only ever seen one on the road, i don’t know why they’re not more popular, would’ve been ideal for brighbar.
Help a newbie out… What is a chinese 6? 
Not seen one for years meself, other than old show trucks.
Tl-Tom,
Chinese 6 is a rigid truck (not a unit) with 2 steer axles at the front, one drive axle at rear
like an 8 legger without the rearmost axle
Cheers scab-in-a-cab!
Anyone have any pics of one? 
your wish is my command
Someone mentioned this on here last year and ui didnt have a clue what one was, its amazing that something we have all seen from time to time actually turns out to be something simple but with a name we havent heard of.
Heres a pic for anyone who doesnt knwo what a Chinese Six is.
The real big question is WHY is it called a Chinese Six ?, i dont know but i would like to know how it got its name.
What a strange looking machine! 
Where did the name chinese come from though? 
Toploadertom:
What a strange looking machine!Where did the name chinese come from though?
from ZZAR BEAN’S WORLD
Chinese Six
A three axled rigid vehicle with twin steer axles at the front and one drive axle. This combination allows for greater weight tolerances if only part loaded. The name is said to derive from the thought that only the Chinese could come up with such a design.
No one seems to make them anymore, I looked at ERF, Foden sites etc. Is it just no demand or did a change in regulations make them obsolete.
BTW does anyone remember a sudden influx of far eastern trucks in the late '80’s, mainly tippers which I believe were imported in Ireland. Had that funny front mounted mirror to see where your front end was ( 
)
I cant remember what make they were and its driving me nuts.
I lived in fear of them getting popular, fortunatly they seem to have disapeared entirely now.
Phil
imported in Ireland. Had that funny front mounted mirror to see where your front end was ( Shocked )
I cant remember what make they were and its driving me nuts.
HINO ?
1950’s dashboard complete withrev counter nailed on top
I think you’re meaning a Hino. Still popular in North & South Ireland.
AFAIAA ‘that’ mirror is going to become a standard fit on new trucks in the near future!!
scab-in-a-cab:
imported in Ireland. Had that funny front mounted mirror to see where your front end was ( Shocked )
I cant remember what make they were and its driving me nuts.HINO ?
1950’s dashboard complete withrev counter nailed on top
THATS THE ONE, thanks scab-in-a-cab
First it was tippers then I got worried when rigids appeared, were they as rubbish as they looked. Used to see a lot round Brum
Errr have they faded away now 
Phil
marcustandy:
I think you’re meaning a Hino. Still popular in North & South Ireland.AFAIAA ‘that’ mirror is going to become a standard fit on new trucks in the near future!!
Thanks marcustandy, find it hard to believe that mirror is gonna be standard fit! Is is so we can all move up an inch to allow more vehicles on the M25 jams perhaps
I have nightmares of having to drive one of these
Hey, maybe they should manufacture a chinese six ho ho ho (neatly back on topic)
Phil
scab-in-a-cab:
Chinese 6 is a rigid truck (not a unit) with 2 steer axles at the front, one drive
axle at rearlike an 8 legger without the rearmost axle
Spot on mate except that we used to refer to all twin steers+single drives as
Chinese 6s. Mind you in earlier days they were almost all rigids, didn’t see a
unit 'till ICI introduced their Ergomatic Mandators in the 70s, I think it was.
I think the name derives from the fact that at first they were considered a bit
arse about face, like the Chinese language. Similar vein to ‘it’s all Greek to
me’, or ‘double Dutch’.
Bet the most famous Chinese 6 is not a truck at all but that coach featured
in ‘The Italian Job’.
Salut, David.
As used in The Italian Job, a Bedford VAL,
I thought that AEC’s use of the Chinese Six layout in a tractor unit was the Mammoth Minor, introduced in the Sixties to get round the (then) 32 ton regulations, the one shown is a 1967 example, borrowed from hankstruckpictures.com/len_rogers6.htm
