Evening all, well we are venturing into the realms of conjecture, who, what, why? Let us consider some actual facts.
Any French operator of the 50s and 60s, would, despite partisan feelings state that the premier vehicle available to him was without doubt, a Bernard! Reliability, utter quality, economy, driver acceptance, (“the driver of a Bernard, he is a man to be respected”, to translate a common used phrase)! There simply was no contest.
Many times, at more sociable events, just scratching the “skin” of French operators, (large and small), would come the comment, “ah, but only if Bernard was available today”)! The man, his creations were/are a national institution! And don`t forget the drivers, to have a Bernard really meant something, it was a badge of office, you were a professional amongst your piers! And to be a “knitter”, well, you were top of the tree, “sans doubt”!!!
[ZB], CF, you cannot compare the French and UK markets in the pre “harmonisation” days, they are truly apples and pears! One can appreciate the difference, but they are totally different. As a result the products were different, Legislation has much to answer for, created to National peramiters, but totally ignoring what your neighbour is doing.
As an example. Let us take the late 60s as a time frame. 4x2 rigid, 16tons in the UK, on average, aim for a body and payload factor of 11tons. M le Frog, 19tonnes gvw, chassis cab 6.5tonnes, body,average 2.5tonnes, payload , 10tonnes, (pas problem… every one loads 13tonnes, who cares)!!!
France had been running 19tonnes, 4x2s for years, and whosoever built them, the build was substantial, as was the 26tonne 6x2(4). and 35tonne 3axle artic, and 38tonne 4axle. That was the reason for Bernard to “crusade” the concept of a light 8x4 rigid at 32tonnes. This crusade cost many millions of Francs that they could ill afford, but was typical of an engineering concept driven company, aiming to create a market , not exploit an existing one.
The GR Berliet, with the comfortable "Relax " cab, an excellent product, with one inheritent weakness,…the “Majic” 6cyl, (early), Maxi Couple type engine! Piston problems, high fuel consumption, because like the later ■■■■■■■ E290, the penalty of over exuberence on the throttle, was a massive thirst!! (and that early engine could rev)! But a lovely, lovely lorry. Only by the mid 70s, had the engineers from Venissieux adapted the design, and created the easy to use Maxi-Couple designs. At that time the most fuel efficient, easy driving engines available in Europe.
Now we come to Mr Mack, post WW11,very succesful in Europe, Importers, assemblers in the Benelux, but huge potential market in Europe. Something I found when working along side our American friends, is their total misunderstanding of “culture” No not the “Arty, ■■■■■”, but that of individual Nation States. They, (and I talk of Chrysler, and Mack), saw Europe as one market, that would accept the “universal” product, across National boundaries! Not so Chuck Pigotts PACAR, who building on their succesful US strategy, saw each European, (pre harmonisation),market as individual.
Macks acquisition of Bernard in 63, was marked by a total lack of grasp of what Bernard was, and what it meant as a “brand”. Mack engines in Bernard chassis, although possesing “chevalvapeur”, (power), were viewed with some distrust by operators who had seen the dimutation of Bernards engineering expertise with the Alsthom powered 200serie. And these "hybrids " they were not cheap!
That the Mack Bernards were a good vehicle is undeniable, but the sales imputus was further diluted by the introduction, via the Dealer Network, of French built Macks, sporting cabs by Pelpel, (quite handsome), and later by our own Motor panels, without doubt the ugliest, oh by a long way , tractor unit ever to grace Europes roads!! And with one fell swoop, by kicking Floor in their corporate nuts, lost ground in the Benelux!!
The cost base of Bernards substantial factory at Avenue Briande, could not be supported by the sales of Mack-Bernards, and French built Macks, so the Yanks did what they are good at, (in corporate terms), they cut and ran! 1966 was the end of Bernard!
Gentlemen, if ever you are lucky enough to see a preserved Bernard, please examine it closely, and you will find a truly exqusite piece of engineering, and if it has a cab by Pelpel, Arnault, Cottard, or sheer delight, Charbonnaux, enjoy the thought of driving such a machine…“the driver of a Bernard, he is a man to be respected”! and truly he was. Cheerio for now.
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