Remember this advert from many pages back?
Well, I now have the original photo and the comments of the photographer, who just happened also to be the driver. All to be revealed in Book 2! Robert
If I didn’t know better your name ought to be Robert De Beers from the diamond-mines, nice gems again!
ERF-Continental:
If I didn’t know better your name ought to be Robert De Beers from the diamond-mines, nice gems again!
I don’t know about the ‘diamonds’ but the ‘beers’ part is spot-on! 
So I might just raise a glass of bitter to ERF, TNUK et al this very evening! Robert
Those long, whippy fibreglass aerials were very popular at the time, one of those things that come, sell millions and disappear!
I did a lot of timber out of North Wales to Wigan in 1970. I had an account for diesel at a garage south of Chester. The owner had seen how popular nylon, multicoloured watch bands were becoming. He made a fortune importing them - for about 18 months. The market died as quickly as it had arisen. However, he did buy a large garage with the proceeds!
John.
John West:
Those long, whippy fibreglass aerials were very popular at the time, one of those things that come, sell millions and disappear!I did a lot of timber out of North Wales to Wigan in 1970. I had an account for diesel at a garage south of Chester. The owner had seen how popular nylon, multicoloured watch bands were becoming. He made a fortune importing them - for about 18 months. The market died as quickly as it had arisen. However, he did buy a large garage with the proceeds!
John.
Yes! As you say they were popular. The protruding grille on those NGC ‘Europeans’ were made of plastic, unlike the rest of the cab, so they would have supported an aerial but not a handrail. But I do love the attention to detail that posters apply to this thread. Keep your ideas coming, lads, however tenuous they may appear to be. That is precisely how we have managed to piece together the history of this magnificent machine! Robert 
As stated in my annotated version of the Best-Trucks stand picture at the 1976 Auto-Rai Amsterdam, the illuminated headboard advert would be a good find. Funnily enough, I know of no NGCs in service with these headboards. However, the 7MW that replaced a 6MW cab on Pountain’s MDC 852 had one! Also, the Corbishleys added a standard non-illuminated one to KCH 95N now in preservation. Robert
Van Steenbergen did not feel to put headboards on the NGC’s but did on some Swedes…I assume
the marques was some kind of VALEO, perhaps HELLA, but I’m not sure.
ERF-Continental:
Van Steenbergen did not feel to put headboards on the NGC’s but did on some Swedes…I assume
the marques was some kind of VALEO, perhaps HELLA, but I’m not sure. Attached an example which
looks quite similar to the B-series on the 1976 stand of Best-Truck Import B.V., the Volvo is from 1980
so quite some years after the NGC’s
Good link. Nice pic. And those F12s were nice to drive. Robert
I’m sure many an ERF NGC driver on Middle-East work will have paused to admire views in Istanbul such as this one. I certainly did when I was driving down there! Robert
robert1952:
ERF-Continental:
Van Steenbergen did not feel to put headboards on the NGC’s but did on some Swedes…I assume
the marques was some kind of VALEO, perhaps HELLA, but I’m not sure. Attached an example which
looks quite similar to the B-series on the 1976 stand of Best-Truck Import B.V., the Volvo is from 1980
so quite some years after the NGC’sGood link. Nice pic. And those F12s were nice to drive. Robert
Unfortunately their dealer did not understand the transport-business so only gross 12-15 Volvos were in the fleet,
which was a pitty as that dealer was within 10 miles of the company, strange enough some years later Scania made the same
mistake by only wanting to sell but no ears in case of service and claims, and there were many claims with the 4-series
It looks as if there’ll be some ERF NGCs (Trans Arabia) in David Bowers’s new book from Old Pond, Beyond the Bosphorous. I’ve just ordered my copy. Here’s a link to a you-tube quick flick through the pages:
youtube.com/watch?v=DaNC7FVTBCI
Robert
Ever vigilant, I stumbled upon this - labelled Sandbach 1975. There is a front view a few pages back, along with some discussion. Cheers. Robert
Here’s the front view. I’m pretty certain they are destined for Falcon Freight in either Dubai or the Jeddah depot. Robert
Interviewing old VIJORE group drivers about their experiences down the TIR-trail I have ascertained that they tended to use the Harem Hotel TIR-park on the other side of the Bosphorous when stopping in Istanbul. I have been there, but I normally stopped at the Londra-Camp TIR-parking to the north of Istanbul and I become excited about the atmosphere that pervaded that institution when we were concerned about the routes south and east… However! If any correspondents on this thread (or this forum) would like to add any colour to the Harem Hotel experience I would be particularly grateful. I know, of course, some of the Harem stories from various drivers and publications. However, for the purposes of my writings about the ERF NGC and the activities of Richard Read and Eric Vick whose vehicles used to stop there in Harem, I’d welcome any observations about their involvement!
Here is a Toprun picture of Harem Hotel TIR-parking. Alas, I can’t yet reveal pictures of ERF NGCs there until the next book is published, but be patient they will be revealed! Robert
There’s good picture of KCH 95N parading at the Kelsall ERF gathering in the September issue of Classic & Vintage Commercials magazine, with guess-who at the wheel! Robert
ERF-Continental:
@Robert: to avoid counting same cats…together…I had some research:See NGC-User1.jpg:
In 1974 Marcel Eyckmans of Bettekom (Belgium) bought this 3-axle tractor
(together with a LEONET log-trailer) which had first a winch and in 1978 it
was lengthened to have a FASSI-crane installed. After a positive and active
life it was parked in a garage for about 15 years.See NGC-User2.jpg:
Interwheels of Holland bought it begin of new millenium, restored it and it
popped up later in UK again, circle round…See NGC-User3.jpg:
Nicely restored as a heavy haulage back in Britain, well done, well preserved!Hope this doesn’t affect the total number of NGC’s drastically
Now the Kelsall-picture comes available just a push higher of former information.
ERF-Continental:
ERF-Continental:
@Robert: to avoid counting same cats…together…I had some research:See NGC-User1.jpg:
In 1974 Marcel Eyckmans of Bettekom (Belgium) bought this 3-axle tractor
(together with a LEONET log-trailer) which had first a winch and in 1978 it
was lengthened to have a FASSI-crane installed. After a positive and active
life it was parked in a garage for about 15 years.See NGC-User2.jpg:
Interwheels of Holland bought it begin of new millenium, restored it and it
popped up later in UK again, circle round…See NGC-User3.jpg:
Nicely restored as a heavy haulage back in Britain, well done, well preserved!Hope this doesn’t affect the total number of NGC’s drastically
Now the Kelsall-picture comes available just a push higher of former information.
You’ll find all that info on p29 of Lorries of Arabia 
. However, I will be dealing with it in a little more detail in ‘book 2’ in which I hope to make more of Rene Postma’s role in the rescuing of it. Cheers, Robert
robert1952:
seth 70:
Hows the book sales going robertok i hope…
Far better than expected, thank you Seth70! New one is nearly ready to submit. cheers, Robert
The book has got a good write up in this months transport news robert,its a great magazine that concentrates on scottish haulage,its hard to come by so i doubt you have heard about it your neck of the woods 
,i can only get it in certain wh smiths in britain and they only stock the odd one…