ERF-Continental:
I will dig further towards details on the supposed Prooi-NGC
I think Prooi is a dead-end. You may recall that both Rene Postma and Wobbe Reitsma in Holland spoke directly with the old Prooi people and reported that they did not operate an ERF NGC, only a B-series.
ERF-Continental:
A road-registration for the NGC of Groen in Nieuw LekkerlandPerhaps some details (year/month of registration) are worth to notice
It’s a useful document, I agree. However, I posted a scan of it on this thread some years ago and it also appears on page 42 of my 3rd NGC book!
ERF-Continental:
Perhaps an unknown picture?
Alas no. I think this one’s been floating about on the internet for as long as I’ve been researching NGCs. It’ll be on this thread somewhere! It is of course 34-UB-99 (No. 1 on my register).
robthedog:
.
See my today’s comments on the same picture on the ERF Clearing House thread for an explanation.
It’s quite incredible that we’re still getting new pictures of these ERF NGCs! These were sent to me today, apparently off Facebook. They show Trans Arabia No.108, which if you remember was one of six brand new NGCs with ■■■■■■■ 290s and 13-sp Fullers. The driver, alas no longer with us, was Ernie Hathaway. Pictures will have been taken in Saudi (as S Jones’s yard was a bit short on palm trees. 
). Great pics, as I think you’ll agree! 
Wim Spruit give nice details on what was going on in The Netherlands.
Jan Bestebreurtje was in charge of import and daily business of ERF (Best Truck Import) at Rembrandtstraat 2
in Oud-Beijerland, whereas his brother Paul was in charge of the daily business around the Garage (Bestebreurtje)
at Rijksstraatweg in RIjsoord…at that time also a long-established DAF dealer for both cars and trucks. John (aka
Saviem) recalled them being DAF-brokers and he was that thoughtful (and structured with his details) to focus us
on the sales of ERF-chassis and in small also DAF-trucks and main parts.
ERF-NGC-European:
It’s quite incredible that we’re still getting new pictures of these ERF NGCs! These were sent to me today, apparently off Facebook. They show Trans Arabia No.108, which if you remember was one of ten brand new NGCs with ■■■■■■■ 290s and 13-sp Fullers. The driver, alas no longer with us, was Ernie Hathaway. Pictures will have been taken in Saudi (as S Jones’s yard was a bit short on palm trees.10
Well what a surprise - even more so that Ernie is no longer with us - their are only a few of us. Ernie was one of the S Jones drivers who had driven artic tippers for then - Aldridge to London (coal) tip reload human waste, back to Walsall tip, washout and reload coal for the nxt day - this was 5 days a week, pedal to the metal as they say, all on peace work.
The photo of Ernie and his truck is clearly an out of city location, the other is container of Swiz Moussy non alcoholic beer being offloaded at the Binzagr warehouse at the rear of Villa Trans Arabia - recognise some of the Yemeni coolest labourers being laid by the case - the foreman always carried one more case to the others to prove his worth!!
Just a point - Trans Arabia only initially got 6 new NGCs fleet numbers 105/110 inc and as I understand it we’re lucky to get those as ERF weren’t to keen. Similar to my visit to Best Truck Rotterdam and the dealer in Brussels - both refused to sell me the stock of 2nd hand trucks they had in stock!!
Cheers
Ken b
Kenb:
ERF-NGC-European:
It’s quite incredible that we’re still getting new pictures of these ERF NGCs! These were sent to me today, apparently off Facebook. They show Trans Arabia No.108, which if you remember was one of ten brand new NGCs with ■■■■■■■ 290s and 13-sp Fullers. The driver, alas no longer with us, was Ernie Hathaway. Pictures will have been taken in Saudi (as S Jones’s yard was a bit short on palm trees.10
Well what a surprise - even more so that Ernie is no longer with us - their are only a few of us. Ernie was one of the S Jones drivers who had driven artic tippers for then - Aldridge to London (coal) tip reload human waste, back to Walsall tip, washout and reload coal for the nxt day - this was 5 days a week, pedal to the metal as they say, all on peace work.
The photo of Ernie and his truck is clearly an out of city location, the other is container of Swiz Moussy non alcoholic beer being offloaded at the Binzagr warehouse at the rear of Villa Trans Arabia - recognise some of the Yemeni coolest labourers being laid by the case - the foreman always carried one more case to the others to prove his worth!!Just a point - Trans Arabia only initially got 6 new NGCs fleet numbers 105/110 inc and as I understand it we’re lucky to get those as ERF weren’t to keen. Similar to my visit to Best Truck Rotterdam and the dealer in Brussels - both refused to sell me the stock of 2nd hand trucks they had in stock!!
Cheers
Ken b
Yes, fantastic isn’t it! The Binzagr warehouse was in Jeddah wasn’t it?
You’re right about the six (not ten). It slipped my mind - I’ve corrected my original post but left the original embedded in your reply so that your reply makes sense!
What you say about the difficulty you had procuring LHD ERFs for Saudi bears out my argument on the Clearing House thread earlier today, so thank you. Most interesting to see the attitude of Best Truck in Rotterdam at the time 
. What a fiasco: you’d have thought they would have jumped at the chance!
Thanks for posting
@ ERF-Continental: Ken was General Manager from 1976 to 1982, so that spans the end of NGC production and the end of European engagement. He still managed to obtain some ex-NL units because one of them (ex-Slappendel) was bought in Jeddah (I think it had been driven out on an overland trip and left there as a ‘seller’). It was returned to Aldridge for refurbishing as TA 139. Also returned to Aldridge for refurbishing were TA 124 (ex-NL) and TA 126 (ex-Schaap) which must have been bought direct from the owners. We know that both were collected from the docks on a flatbed trailer by Vince Cooke. We still don’t know who TA 124 belonged to.
ERF-NGC-European:
@ ERF-Continental: Ken was General Manager from 1976 to 1982, so that spans the end of NGC production and the end of European engagement. He still managed to obtain some ex-NL units because one of them (ex-Slappendel) was bought in Jeddah (I think it had been driven out on an overland trip and left there as a ‘seller’). It was returned to Aldridge for refurbishing as TA 139. We know that both were collected from the docks on a flatbed trailer by Vince Cooke. Also returned to Aldridge for refurbishing were TA 124 (ex-NL) and TA 126 (ex-Schaap) which must have been bought direct from the owners. We still don’t know who TA 124 belonged to.
Yes the Binzagr warehouse was in Jeddah behind villa TA.
You may have also missed that TA bought the Camel/Cunard fleet - that was after I had returned to the UK.
Cheers
Ken b
Kenb:
ERF-NGC-European:
@ ERF-Continental: Ken was General Manager from 1976 to 1982, so that spans the end of NGC production and the end of European engagement. He still managed to obtain some ex-NL units because one of them (ex-Slappendel) was bought in Jeddah (I think it had been driven out on an overland trip and left there as a ‘seller’). It was returned to Aldridge for refurbishing as TA 139. We know that both were collected from the docks on a flatbed trailer by Vince Cooke. Also returned to Aldridge for refurbishing were TA 124 (ex-NL) and TA 126 (ex-Schaap) which must have been bought direct from the owners. We still don’t know who TA 124 belonged to.Yes the Binzagr warehouse was in Jeddah behind villa TA.
You may have also missed that TA bought the Camel/Cunard fleet - that was after I had returned to the UK.
Cheers
Ken b
Cheers Ken. Yes, I knew they’d bought the CAMEL fleet but apparently they were only cannibalised for spares and not run on the road - I think it was Cookie told me that.
A possible reason for ERF’s reluctance to provide the six NGCs was this: 1976/77 was the period ERF released it’s new full sleeper LHD Euro-spec B-series and wound down production of the NGC. The ERF field engineer who drove JLG 35N out to Middle-East as a demo unit reported that ERF could have sold hundreds of NGCs at that time because they had a terrific reputation but that ERF were determined to kill off the old NGC to promote the B-series.
Kenb » Mon Oct 17, 2022 11:23 am
ERF-Continental wrote:
In all fairness…Only in Belgium gross 10 4x2 chassis (tractors) and gross 10 6x4 chassis (tarsprayers/tippers) were operational and
then I speak of 3- or 5-MW-chassis and I strongly doubt if those were traded in at CDB…after mostly having a hard life on the road
and in quarries. Perhaps slaes management (perhaps Ken remembers their sales manager Mr. Deleers) of CDB was more worried to
affect their own sales (of Autocar- and White-chassis, mainly tippers and mixers) towards the ME? On the gross 10 4x2 tractors (NGC)
the majority ended life at the back of the relevant yards of the operators and were scrapped so not available for export.
What CDB did do is to collect ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ on a regular base to rework and dismantle for parts.
On Best Truck Import no 3- or 5-MW-chassis are known and from the gross 10 4x2 chassis (hence NGC-series) 3/4 ended at the yard too.
So no big deal on a great number of ‘lost’ export-possibilities to my humble opinion.
Big question…when was Ken’s research/trip towards the BeNeLux as that could indicate more clearly how the ERF-market was then.
Morning
My trip to Holland and Belgium was whilst I was on summer leave, as I remember it was Aug/Sept 1977, I also remember the Belgium trucks being in very good condition and were 5MWs where the Dutch were 7 series. Couldn’t understand there attitude at the time, I came back and bought a 5MW off Beresfords Stoke.
We then went on to buy Mack!! What a mistake! Should have insisted on ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ with Jake Brake and no plastic sleeper pods.
Interesting times learning very quickly.
Cheers
Ken bQuote
Ken, do you know the story behind the yellow NGC that ended up in Jeddah and which you sent to Alridge for refurb. and came back as TA 139? It’s owner-driver was Steef Slappendel. Had he broken down and thrown in the towel; or did he drive it out as a ‘seller’?
With all respect walking through the NGC-100…I strongly doubt IF there were überhaupt trade in NGC-chassis at BTI nor CDB.
I assume that Ken was afdter the 3- and/or 5-MW-chassis as Delcon all of a sudden dropped some out of their mainly ERF-fleet.
That yellow NGC was ex-Groenenboom and I asked Wim Spruit what he knows…as most likely
that chassis was a trade in for a DAF 2800 as Bestebreurtje was also DAF-dealer.
ERF-Continental:
With all respect walking through the NGC-100…I strongly doubt IF there were überhaupt trade in NGC-chassis at BTI nor CDB.I assume that Ken was afdter the 3- and/or 5-MW-chassis as Delcon all of a sudden dropped some out of their mainly ERF-fleet.
I’m sure Ken will answer for himself, if he hasn’t lost the will! He mentioned above that Best Trucks had 7-series, for which read 7MW, for which read NGC. We know Best Trucks were trying to sell the 2nd hand 1976 olive green NGC (see advert below). Ken had already ordered six new NGCs and was looking to supplement them. He managed to obtain six more after that, remember!
Indeed, the plot thickens…the olive green was ex-König when I am right but in all fairness
out of the NGC-100 few were available on the continent as the majority was doing a great job
for many years…with some exceptions as always
ERF-Continental:
That yellow NGC was ex-Groenenboom and I asked Wim Spruit what he knows…as most likely
that chassis was a trade in for a DAF 2800 as Bestebreurtje was also DAF-dealer.
Yes, it was pre-registered N-11-20 and started with Groenenboom of Ridderkerk as 12-97-FB, until 1977.
