adr:
Not sure which ERF category this 1 comes under? South African spec’, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ driveline!
South African built with local cab and I think some even had local engines; and of course right-hand drive - so definitely not an ERF ‘European’ then! Robert
Definitely not, but not enough pics/info’ for it’s own thread unfortunately, which is a shame because I actually like it . Pics of the interior would be interesting to see any similarities or not with other ERFs! Regards Chris
adr:
Not sure which ERF category this 1 comes under? South African spec’, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ driveline!
South African built with local cab and I think some even had local engines; and of course right-hand drive - so definitely not an ERF ‘European’ then! Robert
Definitely not, but not enough pics/info’ for it’s own thread unfortunately, which is a shame because I actually like it . Pics of the interior would be interesting to see any similarities or not with other ERFs! Regards Chris
Hi Adr: there are quite a few SA pics scattered around the threads. Also, if you look in Dai Davies’s book, ERF The Inside Story, there are loads of pictures because Dai Davies once ran the South African ERF operation. Robert
adr:
Not sure which ERF category this 1 comes under? South African spec’, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ driveline!
South African built with local cab and I think some even had local engines; and of course right-hand drive - so definitely not an ERF ‘European’ then! Robert
Definitely not, but not enough pics/info’ for it’s own thread unfortunately, which is a shame because I actually like it . Pics of the interior would be interesting to see any similarities or not with other ERFs! Regards Chris
Hi Adr: there are quite a few SA pics scattered around the threads. Also, if you look in Dai Davies’s book, ERF The Inside Story, there are loads of pictures because Dai Davies once ran the South African ERF operation. Robert
Hi Robert, yes I’ve put some SA pics on various threads myself, I like the SA gear because like the Australian stuff it tends to be tough for the terrain & specialised which makes them more interesting than your mass-produced European kit! I know of this book but I haven’t read it, I have shelves full of books here but not that one so with my birthday coming up maybe it’ll have to go on the wish- list Regards Chris
Now do any of these pics ring a bell with anyone? I have always made two assumptions about this group of photos: 1) That they are all the same vehicle; and 2) That someone imported a second-hand NGC from the Continent, converted it to a wrecker, ran it on trade plates and eventually had it properly registered on Q-plates. However, it is just possible that there is more than one vehicle here… Robert
The missing wiper is one thing, no grab handles…a strange ‘thing’ just on the upper side of the grille at the right,
but do we have a clue on the registration WHEN it might have been imported from the continent. Chance a tractor
was converted to a wrecker after the tractor did quite some miles and ‘ended’ around the church for wreckage?
Just an idea or opening…the drawbars were/are very rare on the continent…
The missing wiper is one thing, no grab handles…a strange ‘thing’ just on the upper side of the grille at the right,
but do we have a clue on the registration WHEN it might have been imported from the continent. Chance a tractor
was converted to a wrecker after the tractor did quite some miles and ‘ended’ around the church for wreckage?
Just an idea or opening…the drawbars were/are very rare on the continent…
A-J
Well, funny you should mention draw-bars - my first thought was that it was in fact a converted rigid, especially as it appears in the same livery as the Thibaut of Stree outfit from Belgium (that was too early to have grab-handles too). It would presumably have been easier to convert a rigid than a tractor. It is also possible that the rather grand maroon livery was applied later, perhaps after an equipment upgrade. It seems unlikely that the superior maroon livery preceded the red and white livery. Mmmm. Robert
We’ll end somewhere…but as said…some reference about the year imported?
To my knowledge the Thibaut one was operational for many (10-15) years and
due to age, wear and mileage…one doesn’t import/rebuild…after all those years.
A-J
Perhaps another hybrid? New cab? Accident? Ex-demonstrator comming back from
the continent after Ferrari-race-team had it in their stables?
Here the comparison: the Thibaut draw-bar wagon and the wrecker. But third picture, that A-J thinks may be Thibaut’s tractor unit has the white cab stripe in the right place! The thick plottens. A Q-plate gives no clue of age, unfortunately. Robert:)
To my humble opinion (perhaps 3300John knows more) the wrecker has a lower placed cab and
strange changes with regard to the grille, but you may really exclude the fact it is an ex-Thibaut.
DVLA issues ‘Q’ registration numbers to vehicles whose age or identity is in doubt.
If this happens, any original vehicle registration number will become invalid and you mustn’t display it again.
To get a ‘Q’ registration number, your vehicle has to pass a type approval process.
from the .gov web site
Q plates are issued mainly to 2nd hand imported vehicles or any vehicle where there are no records or documents to support it’s claimed age. So this is probably an import or possibly a foreign registered.
The Q plate can be issued at any time so there is no clue to the age of the vehicle or date of importation to be gained from it.
Well I think we’re all agreed that they were four pictures of the same wagon, but we are none the wiser about the origins.
A-J, cab-ride height may be a red herring because this could alter with the change in ‘construction and use’ status, or replaced springs even. But you raise a possibility I hadn’t thought of: that it may be another hybrid. The fact that it has two evenly spaced windscreen wipers instead of three could possibly mean it’s a re-cabbed LHD truck that previously had a 5MW cab.
3300John, I agree with you - what a dignified and handsome truck this looks in that maroon livery (I’d have added cream and a bit of lining out!).
Zzarbean, thank you for clarifying the Q-plate status for us.
Let’s focus on this one…though very similar with the Dutch Vermeulen,
however mind the indicators and more, a demonstrator which might pop-up
in any country.
There is something poignant about an elderly tractor unit undertaking local duties, that has seen vast distances overseas in its heyday. Here is a wonderful Peter Davies picture of PDF 444R, which in its Vijore livery once did Karachi in Pakistan and is seen here on containers for Shamara of Southampton. I wonder if ‘Richard’ (on the radiator grille) is still around and remembers the lorry. Robert
. Pics of the interior would be interesting to see any similarities or not with other ERFs! Regards Chris
