Evening all, well [ZB], you know that I am totally seduced by "les seigneurs de la route ), “the Lords of the Road”. On one of my first schoolboy cycle touring holidays in the 50s I boldly walked through Bernards front door at 113 Avenue Aristide Briande, Arcueil, (Seine), and in my best schoolboy French, requested details of their lorries for our family business!! That I was not kicked out on my precocious ear, but was given copious details, (including the then “new” Charbonnaux cabbed lorries, with their distinctive porthole sleeper windows), which somehow or other I managed to succesfully carry through the remainder of my “Viking” mounted holiday , and still today posses.
Eduard Bernard, like Louis Willeme started to re-manufacture ex US Liberty lorries at the end of WW1. By the 20s Bernard produced passenger, and goods vehicle chassis. A licence was granted in the 30s to manufacture Gardner designed Diesel engines. But Eduard was himself an innovator, and in many ways “improved” Gardners basic design, (not the least of which was a delightfully light accelerator). The modular engine design resulted in 3,4, &6cylinder versions. The 6cylinder MB6,130x152, of 12,105cu cm capacity, 150/165hp @1750rpm, was manufactured from1956 to the end of the “True Bernard”, when Mack acquired Bernard in 1963. (A takeover that resulted in some odd and varied specifications by the mixing of US Mack and French Bernard components).
Post WW11 Bernard was under the Pons Plan, working closely with Delahaye, Unic and Simca. Perhaps some of their most striking vehicles were produced in the late 50s, conventionals with handsome streamlined cabs by Arnault, and Cottard, and cabovers with Pelpels striking designs. But none more striking than the Charbonnaux examples.
The photograph of the 8x4 refrigerated bodied, Charbonnaux cabbed lorry for AEM, is quite an interesting one. This was an experimental TDA 160.35 @32tonnes gvw, built to try to convince the French regulatory body, The Ministry of Mines, that a new catergory of rigid chassis with 4axles, was a safe and viable uplift from the long existing (rigid) three axle weight of 26tonnes. It was fitted as standard with a Telma Retarder. It was unsuccesful, and 4axle rigids only became “legal” in France with European harmonisation legislation, 20 years later! The driver for Eduard Bernard`s exposition of the 8x4, came from our own market place in Great Britain.
As previously mentioned Bernard produced a large range of stationary engines, later examples employed several, “Gardneresque”, features in their engineering. What caused Bernards demise? No single factor, but contributors were the stagnation of the domestic market, almost non existant export sales, gross over facilitisation, and perhaps the greatest of all, Eduards death. Eduard Bernard, Louis Willeme, as Hugh Gardner in the UK, were autocratic and charismatic heads of their own businesses. Their demise left the business with no direction, and in Bernards case, Eduards son, championed a conventional chassis powered by an air cooled V8, of 200hp, by Alsthom. Its unreliability was lagendary. I enjoyed one memorable dinner with Andre Giraud, (Group Giraud), who tirelessly recounted the failure of the Type 200 Bernard, and how it ended their long association with Bernard.
There is far more to tell about this wonderful company, and its magnificent products, its association with Frances avant garde designer Phillipe Charbonnaux, (who created designs for Berliet, as well as Bernard, as well as Television sets, and motor cars)! and not least the association with Mack! but I have to beat the rain, so its another all nighter, and Im afraid I have spent too long on this electronic gizmo!! I shall away, and whil`st working, remember how delightful were those big Bernards to drive!! Bon nuit, mes braves, Cheerio for now.