robert1952:
My heartfelt thanks goes to Bennku (BMA), our resident TNUK truck artist in Finland who has created this fabulous ERF NGC picture. I feel most honoured to receive a dedicated drawing on this forum.
Quite made my day! Robert
0
Well done, Benkuu.
Gr Eric,
Welcome back Eric! Robert
robert1952:
Welcome back Eric! Robert
Hey, thanks, a lot of work to do last month’s.
Gr Eric,
robert1952:
OK. So here is a ‘SANDBACH SCANIA’ on Middle-East work:And here is a ‘SODERTALJE ERF’, also on Middle-East work:
Astonishingly, given that they were contemporary models, I haven’t a single photo with both of them together - not even in the same frame!
Go to the foot our stairs!! Robert
Well! Thanks to our good friend Benkku, we now have a picture of the ‘Sandbach Scania’ alongside a ‘Sodertalje ERF’! 
Thanks a million for that, Benkku! Robert
Excellent weekend at Gaydon. At least three NGC drivers were present! For those who’ve read the book, I even met ‘Gypsy Dave’ ex-Trans Arabia. Robert 
DEANB has managed to scan me a copy the TRUCK July/August 1977 Trans Euro test which included a LHD B-series. It runs into many pages, but interestingly includes several references to the earlier NGC model. I’ll make more detailed comments in the next book, but these cuttings might amuse for the moment. Robert
The B-series had registration ZZA.520 which stands for a commercial (garage) plate. Where this chassis
proceeded its life is unsure…Belgium only had about 5 B-tractors sold. Speaking of the BeNeLux and in
relation to the CM-article we miss 51 from the total of 106 chassis, including 5- and 7MW-cabbed chassis
the B-and C-series, quite a remarkable number or are we searching in the wrong direction.
ERF-Continental:
The B-series had registration ZZA.520 which stands for a commercial (garage) plate. Where this chassis
proceeded its life is unsure…Belgium only had about 5 B-tractors sold. Speaking of the BeNeLux and in
relation to the CM-article we miss 51 from the total of 106 chassis, including 5- and 7MW-cabbed chassis
the B-and C-series, quite a remarkable number or are we searching in the wrong direction.
I’ll post the whole piece on the LHD B-series thread when I get a moment (it’s very long). Perhaps the registration was only temporary if it was a demo vehicle. It may even have gone to France because we know that Mabo stocked B-series units (but not NGCs).
By the way, as well as Dave Anslow, there were Jerry Cooke, Vince Cooke and Wobbe Reitsma at Gaydon this week. A very good ‘do’. Robert
robert1952:
Excellent weekend at Gaydon. At least three NGC drivers were present! For those who’ve read the book, I even met ‘Gypsy Dave’ ex-Trans Arabia. Robert10
Hi great to hear that you have really met one of the team - he looks a lot different from the 1970’s - but haven’t we all!!
Cheers
Ken Broster
Kenb:
robert1952:
Excellent weekend at Gaydon. At least three NGC drivers were present! For those who’ve read the book, I even met ‘Gypsy Dave’ ex-Trans Arabia. Robert10
Hi great to hear that you have really met one of the team - he looks a lot different from the 1970’s - but haven’t we all!!
Cheers
Ken Broster
It was an honour to meet him, Ken! And Jerry Cooke was there with his father, Vince - you must know him! Alas, we all look different now. I noticed a mid-'90s photo of me on one of the LDDs I posted on DEANB’s latest thread and hardly recognised it! AAhhh! Robert
My sequel to Lorries of Arabia: ERF NGC comes on a-pace: I am constantly astonished at the amount of material we seem able to pull out of the woodwork, so to speak.
I long to share recent intelligence with this thread in my open, time-honoured way, but in the interests of the next book being an interesting and stimulating surprise, I must needs hold back; not least because my contributors are, understandably, requesting non-exposure on the internet - fair enough!
There is a sense among some that there is nothing more that can be said about the ERF NGC, and certainly not in a published book. Well, we all thought that before I produced Lorries of Arabia! I will continue to pursue the fortunes of the ERF NGC for some time.
Nonetheless, I will continue to keep you informed about any NEW discoveries, just as I recently disclosed information about the French ‘new-comer’. Also, I will continue to drop into this thread little discoveries of imagery that are not ‘sacrosanct’ visa-a-vis the new book!
I would remind would-be contributors that you can always contact me via the PM system on this forum if you wish to make more ‘quiet’ contributions - you’d be surprise to know how many do so!
Warmest regards to adherents of this thread. Cheers! Robert
DEANB:
Heres one i found !
A most excellent find, ya DEANB! Thank you! However, I think you only have the 1st page there: here’s the rest - important because some interesting figures concerning the BeNeLux exports are given… Robert
On page 54 (second posted) the company of Haukes is mentioned as a loyal user of Foden.
Attached link gives more on their rich history…under chapter “JAREN 50” and then scroll
to about half the way…Foden after WW2 begins
ERF-Continental:
On page 54 (second posted) the company of Haukes is mentioned as a loyal user of Foden.Attached link gives more on their rich history…under chapter “JAREN 50” and then scroll
to about half the way…Foden after WW2 begins
An interesting link, A-J. And we must continue to ponder the discrepancy in Benelux numbers, that you mentioned yesterday. I do know that Wobbe interviewed Best Trucks in Holland at some length and that they were very cooperative, so the Dutch totals are probably pretty accurate. And you have a good handle on what passed through CDB. That leaves Luxembourg. Perhaps more went there than we think. The other possibility is that larger quantities went to France via CDB than we thought. Robert
The article (Niels Jansen) is pretty close with 23 chassis between 1974 and 1980 for Holland…with
precisely 12 NGC’s and 13 B’s. Luxemburg ‘only’ counts 1 5MW-cabbed tractor and the other known
are EC’s for Unitrack hence not in the time-frame.
I wonder whether it would worth checking whether N.V. Nederlandse Motorenmaatschappij was still importing / dealing / distributing any ERFs at the same time as Best Truck Imports were. If there was some overlap, this might account for the gap. Robert
No no, Nederlandse Motorenmaatschappij N.V. started the import of ERF in 1954, whereas Best Truck Import
started in 1974. In between those years is some grey…also with the remarks that the ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
(just like CDB/SADENO) also imported ERF. No overlap.
