Less is known from the other history on Adriaan Beers…wellknown as an importer from
Scania-Vabis (and thorough connections to many coach- and cab-builders) as manufacturer
(read inventor) of trailers and semi-trailers. The marque ABEE represents A. Beers.
Herewith some pictures, related to the Diamond-T-agency Adr. Beers had, with thanks to
Scania Public Relations.
T-14 is designed to haul coal in five different tippers/containers whereas the whole platform
can be raised just like nowadays a flat ISO-container, not bad in mid-1930s?
T-17 is designed as a low trailer for hauling cattle by means of single-mounted wheels 1934!
Not entirely a Dutch invention but Adriaan Beers reconstructed Ford T-chassis into a
very welcome transport-medium in the 1920s
Also T.T.A. (Truck and Tractor Appliances) from Antwerp-region reconstructed these
Ford chassis for Belgium.
Postwar…1950 RAI-Amsterdam, Beers introduced the Beers Handyvan with quite some US-features.
On the bi-annual R.A.I.-exhibition in Amsterdam, Beers presented the “Beers’ Floating Tractor” for both
rigid-trailer and tractor-trailer. Based on a Diamond T-chassis (with better suspension) and a Chenard-
chassis (think of FAR-trailer-coupling) with an overall shortened wheel-base. Ten Cate (with which Beers
had a longtime co-operation for trailers and axle-systems) offered the trailer and the tractor was powered
by a Kromhout-Diesel.
The garbage-truck (marque Diamond-T) mind Beers’-emblem had a beam-winch-combination so no hydraulics
applied. Again, Beers had quite some engineering in-house with a strong network of proven suppliers.
Special Beers’-chassis for then called B-roads!
Beers understood that on-road service and maintenance was important, hence the Chevrolet-service-car
Along with several major (not only for the local regions) coach- and body-builders, Beers was a
pioneer in handling the market for front-chassis, not only for busses but also for the removal-
sector, which in the 1950s was quite important.
Herewith an example
Whereas the first (known) front Scania-Vabis origins from about 1935 (a 4.5ton tipper), Beers
claims the first front Scania-Vabis from about 1950. Mainly then bus-chassis (as B10, B15 and B20)
were the base for this configuration and it started with lorries and merely removal-vans, with later
also tractors.
The pictures will highlight some examples…with many thanks towards Mr. Oomen from Scania in
charge fo both archives and service.
Some bits and bytes are coming in now and then…
Adriaan Beers’ business originates from 1913 and during a long time several imports
and more important inventions were done. Herewith again some examples.
Philips-Eindhoven had an early Büssing (chain-driven) and Adriaan Beers managed to sell
four tipper-chassis to this company. In 1924 these three are caught in the act!
Customers of Diamond T-chassis had faith in Beers and the future with Scania-Vabis, hence
the installation of a Scania-Vabis engine in a Diamond-T-chassis when new, 1950 that is.
Adriaan Beers had a crisp eye, nowadays called focus, on demands of transport-companies…
in the early years of Diamond-T, started in 1930 for Beers, to co-operate with coach-, cab,-
and bodybuilders…herewith some fine examples
With an emphasis on Diamond-T, who gave the Beers’ company good faith amongst customers and good earnings,
again some striking examples on both transport-needs and solutions with special bodies
More on Büssing and Scania-Vabis is planned
Beers had its influence in cab-building as in the begin of the sixties actually 4 prototypes on the front-trucks
were tested…three of them on aspirated-engines (chassis) and one of them turbo-charged, hence “Super”.
Slab tested/purchased some of them to experience on international routes as to Germany in picture 4…
but the introduction of the LB76 did decrease the number of foreign cab-builders with the majority coming
from Holland with De Graaff, Van Eck, Paul, Paul & van Weelde, Werkspoor etc
As highlighted, Adriaan Beers was a business-man with a good network of people and companies with
knowledge of transport-requirements.
For the Scania-Vabis LV, there was a strong demand for roomy cabs due to international transport
and the need for bunks, Scania-Vabis did not offer good solutions so Beers got in touch with several
well-known, allthough mostly local, coach- and bodybuilders, suited for that cab-job!
One of them was Werkspoor of Amsterdam/Utrecht with a special division for plastics. Herewith
an example of a Chevrolet-van as well as some sales literature.
Adriaan Beers was personally very intriged and inspired by requirements the transport-industry had.
In the late thirties (he did not yet represent Scania-Vabis) with Diamond-T he did a succesful attempt
for the front-cab-steering…or so called “voorbesturing” nowadays so very common!
Some nice examples out of sales-literature
I don’t know if I inputted one of the accompanying pictures, however I somewhere overheard
that ECT (Europe Container Terminal) in Rotterdam ordered 20 Scania-Vabis’ tractors and that
a variety of cabbuilders had a stake in that order. On the pictures the tractors (the second front
cabbed at the end of the row) are brandnew in 1966.The assembly of the typical grille from the
normal control trucks is catching!
Apologies as the picture with a second front scania-vabis was not inputted, here the right one
Just some remarks on the previous pictures…
Adriaan Beers was a genuine businessman and very capable to ‘cope’ with individual interests
of participating stakeholders in the transportation industry. By 1965 it was known that ECT
would order quite some tractors to meet requirements for first container-distribution.
Bear in mind that the previous pictures show both day-cabbed and (more or less) sleeper-cabs,
but the idea behind it was to SHOW (the best showroom is on the road) what specifications
are available and possible. For local distribution (in- and outbound) a day-cabbed tractor would
do and attract local transport-companies, whereas for the ‘hinterland’ and even more far the
sleeper-cab with at least one bunk would be the real benefit.
As said, some 20 tractors were sold and the cabbuilders of the western part of holland, think
of Paul, Paul & van Weelde, Roset, van Eck, de Graaff, Werkspoor etc had the first choice to
present what they were capable of to produce.
In the begin of the sixties, Adriaan Beers (amongst others) foresaw that legislation for road transport
required smart thinking…for sure when volume/weight was important.
Transport-companies frequently focussed on that development as Brul of Nieuweschans (with that so
typical cab with splitted window-shields) did…it for sure was THE first step to nowadays so excepted
mode of transport with front-cabbed equipment, in particular with tractors.
On the LV-series, Werkspoor, Paul & van Weelde together with Roset had the majority of the market
with (in all respect to) van Eck, De Graaff, Hondenbrink were in charge of the ‘remainders’ but bear in
mind that the market for cab-builders (together with the rest of the body when we speak of bodies in
terms of tarpaulins, thermo-conditions, etc etc) was very local then.
Long before the need and legal requirements (mind Seebohmsen in Germany) for axles, weight
and dismensions, Beers had an eye for quality when it came to cabs and transport-requirements.
Herewith some examples, an LS-71 for Goedkoop & de Geus, mind lifted third axle, a(still) unknown
front-cabbed LVS-75 from Amsterdam based “Eendracht Maakt Macht” with a possibly 40’ trailer?
Service was and is an important feature for the transportation-business, but bear in mind: a check
is not the same as service…those Dutch again
By then, 1964, Adriaans Beers was very active for some 15 years in gaining the market with his
won ideas and approach to suit the transport-sector.
A small but clear picture on the first Scania-Vabis ready to deliver in 1964 from Zwolle
