It is 1970 and you have the luxury, in your dreams, of assembling the ultimate 32/38 tonner, for domestic and Continental service. You have the choice of all the components available, from any manufacturer in the world. You need to make the best profit possible (so no “supertrucks”) and also look give the driver an incentive to work for you (he/she is from the Dream Department of the Employment Exchange, so needs to be looked after). What would be your ideal tractor unit specification? From reading the books and this forum, mine would be a Berliet TR300, but with the engine and gearbox replaced with a Gardner 8LXB and Fuller RTO9513.
A 3 axle Foden with a 350 ■■■■■■■ and a Fuller.
grumpy old man:
A 3 axle Foden with a 350 ■■■■■■■ and a Fuller.
Interesting choice, especially given that this specification was actually available for purchase at the time! Which of the many Foden sheds would it have? I think the forward-sloping 'screen steel job was launched around 1970 (S70, was it?). There were some Chinese six tractor units built with this cab- was that what you had in mind?
I forgot to mention axles- I would keep the standard Berliet 13 tonne axle (a heavy axle rating to cope with the various types of trailer in use around Europe at the time- long-pin French jobs, etc.), with a ratio to give around 65mph at 1800rpm. There would be enough gears in the box for adequate performance at lower speeds, plus unbeatable fuel economy.
There’s no euro type approval issues at this time so why zb about just import one of these with a decent ■■■■■■■ option in it and 13 speed fuller.The ultimate guvnor’s motor. 
Carryfast:
There’s no euro type approval issues at this time so why zb about just import one of these with a decent ■■■■■■■ option in it and 13 speed fuller.The ultimate guvnor’s motor.
A Yankee Atki. If not buggering about is your main criterion, why not just have the home-grown original?
[zb]
anorak:Carryfast:
There’s no euro type approval issues at this time so why zb about just import one of these with a decent ■■■■■■■ option in it and 13 speed fuller.The ultimate guvnor’s motor.A Yankee Atki. If not buggering about is your main criterion, why not just have the home-grown original?
You did say that the driver is from the dream department of the labour exchange and needs to be looked after and the yankee KW idea of a Borderer is obviously a lot different to the Atki one in that regard. 
Hi Grumpy. Do they at some point escape?
brandsbybank:
Hi Grumpy. Do they at some point escape?
yea I`ve watching for hours in anticipation of them getting lose, too much time on me hands. fredm
I would have one of these as in 1970 there were so far in front on cab comfort and being quiet ( under floor engine ) and with 350 at 38 tons on top of the job, I would have to drive it myself though as I would never get anyone to work for me and the pictures are from Wikipedia 
They did come as a tractor unit as well but I could not find a picture of one
cheers Johnnie
From what Ive read so Far I would say that you are Describing the Ford Transcontinental
■■■■■■■ engine, fuller gearbox, Berliet Cab just 10 years to soon■■?
Carryfast:
[zb]
anorak:Carryfast:
There’s no euro type approval issues at this time so why zb about just import one of these with a decent ■■■■■■■ option in it and 13 speed fuller.The ultimate guvnor’s motor.A Yankee Atki. If not buggering about is your main criterion, why not just have the home-grown original?
You did say that the driver is from the dream department of the labour exchange and needs to be looked after and the yankee KW idea of a Borderer is obviously a lot different to the Atki one in that regard.
Evening all, for me its simples…Saviem SM340. Single reduction 13tonne axle, that superb double sleeper cab, St Nazaire built 13 speed RTO Eaton,and Shreewsburys own Rolls Royce at 320hp! A 38tonne tractor unit weighing under 6tonnes fully fueled, 320hp, compatable with all European trailer couplings in 4x2 configuration, and producing productavity figures at 38tonnes that no one could match!!!
My friend, the late Pat Kennet, said to me , “this combination is the best I have ever seen, for the driver, and the operator”!!!
Sadly, in 75, it died , due to our “political” takeover of Berliet,…but its productivity figures became the “benchmark”, for 38tonne tractors, when we were setting up the Regie`s Vehicules Industriels Contract Hire Package,…that so much helped a certain “bright” young man from St Vallier become one of the most succesful hauliers in Europe, and in turn “swallowing up”, so much of our British Industry!!
That spec is not “fantasy”, it was reality, and represents so much lost opportunity for the UK.
So sad, I shall take refuge in the Bollinger, (as if I needed any excuse), Cheerio for now.
Only one choice…A Guy Big J with and 8XLB
Given a giant Meccano set, I would have an ERF rolling chassis, 350 ■■■■■■■■ 13spd Eaton Fuller topped off with a Scania LB110 sleeper cab
Hi all,
Unsure what it would look like 
though I would want:
The room of a transcontinental.
The sound of a 140 Scania.
The build quality of a Volvo.
The reliability of an man
The appearance of a scamell crusader.
Any overdrive/underdrive fuller.
3.55 eaton drive axle.
Td120 330hp Volvo engine.
Regards Andrew.
andrew i could not have worded that better exellant choice regards rowly
Saviem:
Evening all, for me its simples…Saviem SM340. Single reduction 13tonne axle, that superb double sleeper cab, St Nazaire built 13 speed RTO Eaton,and Shreewsburys own Rolls Royce at 320hp! A 38tonne tractor unit weighing under 6tonnes fully fueled, 320hp, compatable with all European trailer couplings in 4x2 configuration, and producing productavity figures at 38tonnes that no one could match!!!My friend, the late Pat Kennet, said to me , “this combination is the best I have ever seen, for the driver, and the operator”!!!
Sadly, in 75, it died , due to our “political” takeover of Berliet,…but its productivity figures became the “benchmark”, for 38tonne tractors, when we were setting up the Regie`s Vehicules Industriels Contract Hire Package,…that so much helped a certain “bright” young man from St Vallier become one of the most succesful hauliers in Europe, and in turn “swallowing up”, so much of our British Industry!!
That spec is not “fantasy”, it was reality, and represents so much lost opportunity for the UK.
So sad, I shall take refuge in the Bollinger, (as if I needed any excuse), Cheerio for now.
Sounds like a superb spec…Even more impressive,coming in at under 6,000kgs…Anymore information/details on how this truck performed Saviem?
I think I would have bought one of these straight off the shelf 
It would probably still be earning good money.
1970 Marmon COE
I don’t normally rave over American anything, but these Marmons seem to have a character of their own.
It must certainly have been in the minds of the designers of Ford’s Transcontinental and Renault with the AE
saltiel1411:
From what Ive read so Far I would say that you are Describing the Ford Transcontinental
■■■■■■■ engine, fuller gearbox, Berliet Cab just 10 years to soon■■?
This did cross my mind when I thought up the idea for the thread. However, I wanted the most economical/durable engine of the early '70s, with a “normal” power output for the period, hence the Gardner 240.
Interesting responses. The only ex-factory vehicles to survive the idealist’s mix-and-match workshop are a Foden, the underfloor Bussing and a couple of Yanks. Everyone has chosen (just about) the most powerful engines available in 1970. The most popular components are the Fuller gearbox, ■■■■■■■ engine and Berliet cab, which brings us back to the Transcon! You would have to wait until 1975 for one of those and, according to the writings of that time, and their subsequent popularity (less than most other makes), the execution fell somewhat short of the idea. Reading one or two of the other posts, how about an F89 with the French cab?
Was an 89 available in 1970? Earliest I’ve seen was a K plate which was 71/72.
I know the idea behind this exercise is to see who comes up with an ultimate spec, but in reality the manufacturers did this with things like the F89, 140, SM340 etc. Compared to the British built lorries of the day even the Volvo with its ‘small’ cab and the smaller TD100 was a dream for most drivers
I’m going to change my choice too, I now want a KW K100 with a KTA600 and 6x4 transmission waiting for me when I step out of the time machine…oh and a series two E type Jag, silver with wire wheels and red upholstery please 
A magirus deutz 232 d30 8 wheel tipper steel body stallion tipping gear with the biggest pump available and a pair of bolt cutters
Just remembered it was tractor units. Il have a scania 140/141 please