Any ideas where these ugly brutes are from? My guess is South Africa, Rhodesia or possibly Oz. Pics are off official ERF website, but no details. However from the grille they must be 1970s as its a B series job. Who said high-top sleepers are new?
Oh and before you panic Craig I’m not thinking of recreating that B series I showed you as one of these… not yet anyway!!!
I;M willing to go with south africa ,but may be wrong ,we need bob tuck
on here to say as he was always doing tests+work on lorrys and is a
recognized EXPERT in this field.
brit pete:
I;M willing to go with south africa ,but may be wrong ,we need bob tuck
on here to say as he was always doing tests+work on lorrys and is a
recognized EXPERT in this field.
I think we would love to have Bob Tuck on here!!
On the motor racing nostalgia board I sometimes contribute to there are a number of well known authors who use it as a discussion resource, seems to work very well - its nice to be able to interact with those whose stuff you enjoy reading. Its also interesting to hear their sometimes none too PC views!
Perhaps the REVS people might know, the historical ERF society - been meaning to join for a while now but without my own ERF I wonder if I might feel a little naked!
Seem to have lost my ERF book that the late Pat Kennet wrote so I’l have to get another via Ebay.
I shall have to send Bob Tuuck a mail to encourage him to check out this forum, like you said he’s a real expert in the vintage/classic stuff, although as far as I know he never conducted truck road tests.
I plead guilty perhaps ,but his name and that of PAT KENNET are the
the ones that come straight away in my head when I think of the early
lorrys and tests and reports,
I would guess at New Zealand as they seem to have a liking for Sandbach’s finest,
In reality it could be any of the former colonies - however I do recall ERF assmbled some trucks in SA. Also the cabs remind me off some locally produced Rhodesian trucks that had locally built cabs. They were built by the local train producers, and frankly looked like Deltics! They had DAF or Foden running gear IIRC but its not outside the realms of possibility they also made some cabs for ERF.
I seem to recall that these two pictures had text with them on the original ERF website.
From memory they were Rhodesian (Zimbabwe) although I stand to be corrected.
marky:
I seem to recall that these two pictures had text with them on the original ERF website.From memory they were Rhodesian (Zimbabwe) although I stand to be corrected.
Cant seem to view any text now, and Ive tried with IE and Mozilla browsers. Wonder if any survive under that idiot Mugabes “back to the future, chairman Mao like” reforms?
Craig 111:
I shall have to send Bob Tuuck a mail to encourage him to check out this forum, like you said he’s a real expert in the vintage/classic stuff, although as far as I know he never conducted truck road tests.
There have been plenty of people involved in the road test side of things for the trade periodicals. I seem to recall that Brian Weatherley did some at Commercial Motor and there were others whose names I can’t recall.
I know Bob Tuck did the vintage road test that was published in the 25th anniversary edition of TRUCK magazine.
From memory the tractors on the test were:
Atkinson Borderer
ERF A-Series
Foden S80-something 6x4
Volvo F89 6x4
Scania 111 Day cab
Mercedes-Benz Actros 1844 (comparison motor)
I have a picture of the Borderer (Bowker 34) somewhere that Bob Tuck took (pardon the pun) during this exercise.
ghinzani:
marky:
I seem to recall that these two pictures had text with them on the original ERF website.From memory they were Rhodesian (Zimbabwe) although I stand to be corrected.
Cant seem to view any text now, and Ive tried with IE and Mozilla browsers. Wonder if any survive under that idiot Mugabes “back to the future, chairman Mao like” reforms?
The site was completely redesigned when ERFs admin was moved to Swindon. It used to be just ERF, with monthly updates on sales (stories about notable deals, etc.) as well as an extensive archive and history area. This would appear to have been changed and slimmed down since the interjection of MAN into the way things are done.
I wrote to Trevor Longcroft a couple of years ago because my son developed an interest in ERFs (I wonder where he got that from?) and I requested some posters for him. Trevor was happy to oblige, but nothing was forthcoming because MAN apparently dispensed with his services around about the same time.
Gone are the days when people other than fleet directors are taken into consideration…
ghinzani:
Any ideas where these ugly brutes are from? My guess is South Africa, Rhodesia or possibly Oz. Pics are off official ERF website, but no details. However from the grille they must be 1970s as its a B series job. Who said high-top sleepers are new?!!!
They have a bit of the look of those Atkis produced for Shell in Oz. Squareish cabs (which looked good to me at the time) which were supposedly dustproof with roof mounted aircons. Yanking about 3 tanks (so that’s 4 with the one on the 8 leg prime mover) through the outback they looked quite impressive, but I understand that they had their problems and weren’t particularly popular with the drivers.
Salut, David.
Spardo:
ghinzani:
Any ideas where these ugly brutes are from? My guess is South Africa, Rhodesia or possibly Oz. Pics are off official ERF website, but no details. However from the grille they must be 1970s as its a B series job. Who said high-top sleepers are new?!!!
They have a bit of the look of those Atkis produced for Shell in Oz. Squareish cabs (which looked good to me at the time) which were supposedly dustproof with roof mounted aircons. Yanking about 3 tanks (so that’s 4 with the one on the 8 leg prime mover) through the outback they looked quite impressive, but I understand that they had their problems and weren’t particularly popular with the drivers.
Salut, David.
They were known as Skippy cabs - I believe one of the newest recruits on here has a few pictures of them - they were for general sale in Australia, not just for Shell.
marky:
There have been plenty of people involved in the road test side of things for the trade periodicals. I seem to recall that Brian Weatherley did some at Commercial Motor and there were others whose names I can’t recall.I know Bob Tuck did the vintage road test that was published in the 25th anniversary edition of TRUCK magazine.
You’re right Mark, Bob did get involved in that 25th anniversary drive, as did George Bennett who is the king of road testers (at least in my inconsequential opinion) Can’t think of any other road testers who did the Middle East, whereas George went out there many times in his days before running TRUCK. What I meant about truck testing is measured fuel/speed tests - so far as I know Bob never did those, although if I can coax him onto here we’ll hear the story proper.
Strange that you should mention Trevor Longcroft (ex-ERF) as he was once a tester for Commercial Motor, back in the 60’s and 70’s I believe. Don’t remember reading any of his tests but I bet he was a bit more objective than the legendary patriot Pat Kennett - the man who once claimed in TRUCK that the Marathon was a far superior lorry to the F10 ! (anyone willing to back that up??) 
Craig
Having worked at Leyland Motors, would you have expected Pat Kennett to say anything else?
It came straight from the hip with him. I have had the opportunity to read back through TRUCK magazine from the very beginning, and it is immediately apparent from his editorials that there were no half measures with Pat Kennett.
No half measures with Kennett, but I don’t know that I’d have been so happy with him if I’d gone out and bought a Marathon on the strength of his opinion - although anyone who buys a truck strictly on the findings of a magazine roadtest wouldn’t be due a lot of sympathy.
Craig, the Marathon 2 (Snickers?) was by all accounts a good lorry, just it was all a bit too late. The Masochist in me would have said Scammell Crusader from that Leyland rang tho
Trawling thru old magazines re-reading Pat Kennets tales from Africa and South America makes the hair stand on end - Argentinian Comets plated at 20 tons or so running at 50 tons, every day!
marky:
Spardo:
ghinzani:
Any ideas where these ugly brutes are from? My guess is South Africa, Rhodesia or possibly Oz. Pics are off official ERF website, but no details. However from the grille they must be 1970s as its a B series job. Who said high-top sleepers are new?!!!
They have a bit of the look of those Atkis produced for Shell in Oz. Squareish cabs (which looked good to me at the time) which were supposedly dustproof with roof mounted aircons. Yanking about 3 tanks (so that’s 4 with the one on the 8 leg prime mover) through the outback they looked quite impressive, but I understand that they had their problems and weren’t particularly popular with the drivers.
Salut, David.
They were known as Skippy cabs - I believe one of the newest recruits on here has a few pictures of them - they were for general sale in Australia, not just for Shell.
Indeed I do have some pics of ‘Skippy’ cabbed Atkis - after a flirtation with modified U.K. cabs (Mk.1s with both timber and steel frames) Atkinson Vehicles (A’Asia) Pty Ltd. started building motors at their factory in Melbourne with a monocoque, double-skinned glassfibre cab supplied by a company called Reinforced Plastics.
One cab was shipped to the U.K. (I have works photos of it being unpacked from its shipping crate at the factory in Walton-le-Dale) and was subsequently fitted to an 8-legger for display at the 1968 Earls Court show. It then went into service with Hanson’s at Wakefield. I have been told that it was subsequently destroyed in an accident.
If I can ever work out how to post photos on here, then I’ll post some!!
Craig 111:
marky:
There have been plenty of people involved in the road test side of things for the trade periodicals. I seem to recall that Brian Weatherley did some at Commercial Motor and there were others whose names I can’t recall.I know Bob Tuck did the vintage road test that was published in the 25th anniversary edition of TRUCK magazine.
You’re right Mark, Bob did get involved in that 25th anniversary drive, as did George Bennett who is the king of road testers (at least in my inconsequential opinion) Can’t think of any other road testers who did the Middle East, whereas George went out there many times in his days before running TRUCK. What I meant about truck testing is measured fuel/speed tests - so far as I know Bob never did those, although if I can coax him onto here we’ll hear the story proper.
Strange that you should mention Trevor Longcroft (ex-ERF) as he was once a tester for Commercial Motor, back in the 60’s and 70’s I believe. Don’t remember reading any of his tests but I bet he was a bit more objective than the legendary patriot Pat Kennett - the man who once claimed in TRUCK that the Marathon was a far superior lorry to the F10 ! (anyone willing to back that up??)
Craig
Yes, the testers for that event were Andy Salter and George Bennett. I was present, having arranged to supply the ex-Bowker Borderer for the test, and dined with them on the evening between the two days’ testing. I also helped advise Andy Salter on suitable vehicles and weights beforehand: his original idea was to go over Kirkby Stephen and Brough and, of course, those who know me will know that I wanted to be running at full weight!!
240 Gardner:
]Yes, the testers for that event were Andy Salter and George Bennett. I was present, having arranged to supply the ex-Bowker Borderer for the test, and dined with them on the evening between the two days’ testing. I also helped advise Andy Salter on suitable vehicles and weights beforehand: his original idea was to go over Kirkby Stephen and Brough and, of course, those who know me will know that I wanted to be running at full weight!!
34 was still fresh from refurbishment back then - the seat covers were still on!!
I’ve just been reading it again - yes Chris, the sanding has stopped for the day. I got serious grief for leaving a layer of dust over everything in the house, then I broke the vacuum cleaner and had to shell out £33 for replacement parts.
The day started so well…