This is indeed an A Series, although as you rightly say, aimed at export markets and fitted with the motor panels MW cab.
This particular one was for European export and entered service with Transportes Delcon, Leuven near Brussels.
The ERF A Series was available with either a fibreglass 7LV cab, or this steel MW structure.
Don’t forget that A Series refers entirely to the chassis design, not the cab etc.
Hi ERF, I operated a 5MW Reg HGE 853N in the 80’s , can you tell me the difference between that and a 7MW which had a bigger cab cab and single windscreen and was operated by both Eric Vick and Richard Read on the M/E with the VIJORE partnership? Thanks
This is indeed an A Series, although as you rightly say, aimed at export markets and fitted with the motor panels MW cab.
This particular one was for European export and entered service with Transportes Delcon, Leuven near Brussels.
The ERF A Series was available with either a fibreglass 7LV cab, or this steel MW structure.
Don’t forget that A Series refers entirely to the chassis design, not the cab etc.
wish mine had been fitted with a 335 instead of a 220. A series chassis, steel cab, good motor to drive,most of my work was mobile homes, so lack of oomph wasn’t a great problem.Yanked the air cleaners out of the boxes under the bunk and refitted them on the back of mine , made a couple of of really good tool boxes.
Laurie Dryver:
Hi ERF, I operated a 5MW Reg HGE 853N in the 80’s , can you tell me the difference between that and a 7MW which had a bigger cab cab and single windscreen and was operated by both Eric Vick and Richard Read on the M/E with the VIJORE partnership? Thanks
Without the chassis numbers of both vehicles to enable us to analyze the build details, it is difficult to say specifically.
The 7MW ‘European’ cab was launched on the ERF NGC420 (for 42’000kg operation) at the Brussels show of 1973. The NGC420 had a slightly stronger modified ‘A Series’ chassis frame (redesigned by Ex Atkinson chief engineer Jack Cooke), which was a precursor of the much revised and stronger Cooke designed ‘B Series’ chassis, launched in September 1974.
The NGC420 model replaced the MGG380 (for 38’000kg operation) model 5MW cabbed ‘A Series’ for European exports, but the 5MW continued to be available on the ‘A Series’ tractor unit chassis, and (with the 4MW cab) on the Pre ‘A Series’ rigid chassis for other markets.
The 7MW ‘European’ cab continued to be available for a time on the ‘B Series’ tractor unit chassis, after it’s launch.
Most of us in the UK haulage industry identified an ERF ‘series’ by the shape and type of it’s cab, as demonstrated on these pages, but that is not strictly speaking always an accurate method.
For example, ‘LV’ is really just an evolving series of (mainly) JH Jenning’s built fibreglass cabs, not a vehicle range.
‘A Series’ was a completely new (almost entirely tractor unit) chassis frame, designed in 1970 by Alan Turner, but not put into full scale production until April 1972. The cabs available on this chassis frame were the 7LV and 5MW, but the 7LV was also available on non ‘A Series’ chassis.
‘B Series’ was a Jack Cooke revised chassis frame, fitted as standard with Cooke’s all new SP (Steel / Plastics) tilt cab.
‘C Series’ was another chassis revision, fitted as standard with the updated SP3 cab, but some export chassis did get the old SP.
‘E Series’ was another chassis revision, fitted as standard with the updated SP4, then SP4A (plastic bumper) cab.
Afternoon all, ERF, excellent discourse, thank you. Any minute now another contributor will zoom in on this thread to explain that the MW cab was actually known as the “Diana Dors”, or in Europe as the “Bardot”, or some other equally silly name!
Laurie Dryver:
Hi ERF, I operated a 5MW Reg HGE 853N in the 80’s , can you tell me the difference between that and a 7MW which had a bigger cab cab and single windscreen and was operated by both Eric Vick and Richard Read on the M/E with the VIJORE partnership? Thanks
Without the chassis numbers of both vehicles to enable us to analyze the build details, it is difficult to say specifically.
The 7MW ‘European’ cab was launched on the ERF NGC420 (for 42’000kg operation) at the Brussels show of 1973. The NGC420 had a slightly stronger modified ‘A Series’ chassis frame (redesigned by Ex Atkinson chief engineer Jack Cooke), which was a precursor of the much revised and stronger Cooke designed ‘B Series’ chassis, launched in September 1974.
The NGC420 model replaced the MGG380 (for 38’000kg operation) model 5MW cabbed ‘A Series’ for European exports, but the 5MW continued to be available on the ‘A Series’ tractor unit chassis, and (with the 4MW cab) on the Pre ‘A Series’ rigid chassis for other markets.
The 7MW ‘European’ cab continued to be available for a time on the ‘B Series’ tractor unit chassis, after it’s launch.
Most of us in the UK haulage industry identified an ERF ‘series’ by the shape and type of it’s cab, as demonstrated on these pages, but that is not strictly speaking always an accurate method.
For example, ‘LV’ is really just an evolving series of (mainly) JH Jenning’s built fibreglass cabs, not a vehicle range.
‘A Series’ was a completely new (almost entirely tractor unit) chassis frame, designed in 1970 by Alan Turner, but not put into full scale production until April 1972. The cabs available on this chassis frame were the 7LV and 5MW, but the 7LV was also available on non ‘A Series’ chassis.
‘B Series’ was a Jack Cooke revised chassis frame, fitted as standard with Cooke’s all new SP (Steel / Plastics) tilt cab.
‘C Series’ was another chassis revision, fitted as standard with the updated SP3 cab, but some export chassis did get the old SP.
‘E Series’ was another chassis revision, fitted as standard with the updated SP4, then SP4A (plastic bumper) cab.
5MV cab was also an option i believe, the Motor Pannels day cab.
Wow, there’s a turn up for the book! If my memory serves me correctly that old girl used to be a tractor unit. Fitted with a NT240 turbo ■■■■■■■ and new to Geoff .A. Sheppard from Wick near Bristol. Driven from new by John Larcomb ( sp ) until he had to retire because of ill health - an eye problem I believe.
I had a sniff around the internet to see what lorry Ferrari were using in 1976, with no success. I reckon it would have been a Fiat 619 or a Unic 340V8, at that time. Given the budget of the film and the number of old Fiats still earning a wage around the world, you would have hoped to see a more authentic vehicle. They could have even made a profit- a correct vehicle could have been sold to a collector, possibly even Fiat/Ferrari themselves. What is the value of a wrong-coloured B-series?
By the way, that B series would have had those rectangular boxes around the headlamps in 1976.
Evening all, Ferrari, I seem to recall that the 70s F1 team transporters were pulled by “factory”, 190.35s. In the UK Maranello Concessionaires used a 170.35 converted into a lwb 6x2 box van, that old girl sat in Robert Reynolds yard at Kidderminster for quite a time before someone took her away…now what happened to her…would have made a great hay and straw motor, (once you had weighed the alloy box in)!!
Yes Anorak, you are right, some of the boys doing “props” for films really do get confused, I once had a good 6 month rental on a 105mm SPG Abbot, you can see her, in the background of a pan shot about 45mins or so, into “Saving Private Ryan”!..But the cheque did not bounce!..you learn the hard way about our “media” friends!!
Wow, there’s a turn up for the book! If my memory serves me correctly that old girl used to be a tractor unit. Fitted with a NT240 turbo ■■■■■■■ and new to Geoff .A. Sheppard from Wick near Bristol. Driven from new by John Larcomb ( sp ) until he had to retire because of ill health - an eye problem I believe.
Cracking photo, thanks
Well spotted Paul,I was milling the reg number around my head when I scrolled down and seen your post,heres the old girl in Sheps livery.
Wow, there’s a turn up for the book! If my memory serves me correctly that old girl used to be a tractor unit. Fitted with a NT240 turbo ■■■■■■■ and new to Geoff .A. Sheppard from Wick near Bristol. Driven from new by John Larcomb ( sp ) until he had to retire because of ill health - an eye problem I believe.
Cracking photo, thanks
Well spotted Paul,I was milling the reg number around my head when I scrolled down and seen your post,heres the old girl in Sheps livery.
Cheers Bubbs,
Hi Marc. How you doing?
I thought you’d have a photo of her… I believe she was the second last unit that Shep bought - the last being an ‘X’ reg B series - before Neill took over the show. Shep had a cracking little line up - do you remember SAM 2H?
![7116657393_069dc3b756_z[1].jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/trucknetuk/original/3X/9/0/905da7f29a6e4e181bc8c49400919ebcf89b06dc.jpeg)
