Hello Gentlemen, nice bit of rain eh? Sad this thread is stopping, [ZB]s LV75 pictures came as a surprise to this non Scania man, and Bills (LB76),Rush Green photographs, well the depth of knowledge of the contributors is a real joy. That cab, it set me thinking, early 60s most manufacturers would produce a chassis for sale, cab coachwork being the responsibility of the selling agent. The photographs depict Dutch operators vehicles, and I know at the time, early 60s, the cab over engine design would give around 7cubic meters extra space for payload, over the conventional design, of the L75, or LS75, ( and we all appreciate what short arms and deep pockets the Dutch have)! So who produced these cabs? The pressed curves are reminicent of the cabs produced by Emil Frey AG, of Safenwil Switzerland, or Desoil, the French Coachbuilder, from Aulney la Valenciennes in the 60s. There is a similarity to the limited number from Facel Metallon, Eure et Loire, better known for the most exclusive of motor cars the Facel Vega. [ZB], must be on the right track with a Belgian coachbuilder, but which one? Jonkheere from West Flanders? they had produced commercial bodywork, as well as bus and coach bodies, but when you look closely at the red rigid, and the first photograph, the curves, front windscreen, and front panel and lights are similar, if not identical to the early 60s coach fronts from Bernard Van Hools Lier works. They had the press tools, and experience of working with alloy, steel and fibreglass. But if they were produced by Van Hool, there is an interesting commercial point. Since 1957 Van Hool had worked almost exclusively with Fiat, who supplied engines and running gear for VHs coaches, to the exclusion of other makes. This entente lasted untill 1981. So did De Beers “twist” Van Hools arm to produce these cabs on a limited basis, or was there a volume order for the Dutch market? and if so how many, and why does it appear that so little is known of the LV75? The bottom picture of the Van Brul artic, that protruding windscreen, when I was sent to our Antwerp branch in 1974 I used to regularly see a Saviem JL19 integral box van fitted with an identical front end, and operated by a Dutch furniture manufacturer, (whose name will just not come), blue and white, with very distinctive signwriting. The bodywork was by Veth , Ven Rijswijk, if I remember correctly, so did they build some cabs, or was the windscreen assembly a propriatory bought in component. Interesting is it not? Wonder how many markets the LV appeared in? To my knowledge the Samyns family only imported the L&LS conventionals into France, prior to the LB76 in 1963. (and they sold very, very well)! Incidentaly, the Vabis symbol, the bicycle pedal crank was dropped in 1968, along with the Scania Vabis name, following a long battle with Mercedes Benz, who claimed that the Vabis symbol was confused with the three pointed star! The sole name Scania was then adopted along with the Griffin head. It would be nice if a real Scania historian could “flesh out” the background would it not? Cheerio for now.
a google image search found this photo,would that be heston?
ETA: just seen the pics on previous page of the one at Rush Green 
