This wrecker (Autocar) should have been stand-by for far more ERF’s (than DAF’s) however
the ERF’s did not need that much care when on the road…Bestebreurtje (with garage and
dealership in Rijsoord/Oud-Beijerland) managed to sell some 15 7MW’s (NGC) in Holland and
1 7MW (rigid) towards Belgium, being the Thibaut
A jolly good piece of history there, A-J! Robert 
Bob Chadwick ERF sales director saw these on the dealers forecourt in Dammam whilst on a visit to Star Commercials there agent in Dammam - he was outraged and jumped on a plane to Jeddah - charged into my office in a fit of rage as us purchasing Kenworth - he then proceeded to threaten to rake the dealership agency of S Jones on his return to the UK which of course never happened.
I got to know Bob quite well when he became the sales director at North a West Triucks Northwich the DAF agent and bought dozens off himself for Harris Road Services a TDG company where I ended up after Trans Arabia
Evening all, this thread gets better each time I read it!
Would you all excuse me if I meander down the “scenic” route of thoughts that have come into my mind a little?
Ken, your recollections on Bob Chadwick made me smile. I remember having an order in with North West for some DAF tractors, and they did not arrive on time, and I let fly, (quite unreasonably), at Bob on the telephone…two hours later he burst through my office door carrying an enormous fire extinguisher shouting, “Im here to put the fire out”!.. End of animosity. I found him good to deal with, and I only had to park a couple of new ERFs on the front when he visited , to get some great deals !
Robert, several times on your threads you mention Ken Berresford…but did you know, that like yourself he had been a school teacher? Very personable fellow, and had originally studied ceramics, delightful company to be with, and a very professional “transport man”.
Ken, did Cliff Hardwickes son work for you in Trans Arabia? I knew Cliff when he worked for Tillotsons, prior to it becoming Lex, and long before Opal Transport Equipment. He chose good product in the Magyr tankers, some of my French clients ran them, very well specified.
Gentlemen, apologies for the diversion! I shall go back to my Bolinger now!
Cheerio for now.
I didn’t know Ken Beresford had been a teacher. Lot of it about. Jazzandy told us at the Retro Show that he started out as one too! Robert
robert1952:
If you didn’t like stripping tilts in the Saudi desert, spare a thought for driver ‘Yoyo’ here, roping and sheeting with an ERF LV! RobertUpdate by Ken a Broster Oct 2014
Yes sheeting and roping in Saudi - would have thought it - it only really happened for 2 consignment
When we started work in October 76. Binzagr had had cargo in the port for over 2 years and unable to move it - the first consignment was of pallets (not containerised) of Moussy non alcoholic beer from Switzerland - it had stood out in the open for a long time and when we started to move it in temps of 40c plus the glass bottles started to birst - very dangerous with flying glass - we moved about 20 loads and sheeted them up to get off the docks into the warehouse.The second consignment was of marches - yes hundred of pallets on match sheeted over in the Korean inland port area - Binzager was the largest importer of matches into the country - they finally built a joint venture factory producing them in Jeddah - a Strange German chap was the GM
The pallets had been under cover for a long time and wild dogs were breeding amongst them again we had to sheet up to get to the warehouse.This trailer withYoyo must have been the Mousy beer as Yoyo got sacked within the first 12 months along with 5 others for using the trucks for hire and reward for there own pockets!!
Lots of tales I could tell - could write a book on the 6 years I was there and the experiences0
Kenb:
robert1952:
If you didn’t like stripping tilts in the Saudi desert, spare a thought for driver ‘Yoyo’ here, roping and sheeting with an ERF LV! RobertUpdate by Ken a Broster Oct 2014
Yes sheeting and roping in Saudi - would have thought it - it only really happened for 2 consignment
When we started work in October 76. Binzagr had had cargo in the port for over 2 years and unable to move it - the first consignment was of pallets (not containerised) of Moussy non alcoholic beer from Switzerland - it had stood out in the open for a long time and when we started to move it in temps of 40c plus the glass bottles started to birst - very dangerous with flying glass - we moved about 20 loads and sheeted them up to get off the docks into the warehouse.The second consignment was of marches - yes hundred of pallets on match sheeted over in the Korean inland port area - Binzager was the largest importer of matches into the country - they finally built a joint venture factory producing them in Jeddah - a Strange German chap was the GM
The pallets had been under cover for a long time and wild dogs were breeding amongst them again we had to sheet up to get to the warehouse.This trailer withYoyo must have been the Mousy beer as Yoyo got sacked within the first 12 months along with 5 others for using the trucks for hire and reward for there own pockets!!
Lots of tales I could tell - could write a book on the 6 years I was there and the experiences0
You are certainly bringing these pictures alive Ken. I could never see the point of that near-beer stuff! 
Robert
This is a picture of the front cover of TRUCK magazine June 1975. If anyone has a copy I can buy, I’d be grateful for a PM. Cheers! Robert 
I’ll just float this idea with you. We know that early shots of the ERF demo cab showed a bicycle-bell Fuller knob. We know that it was offered with 9-speed as standard. We know that some 1970s 9-speeders had the bicycle-bell Fuller knob normally associated with 13-speeders. We know that in 1974 (just before Pat Kennett’s Euro Test) ERF replaced the NGC’s 9-speed Fuller with a slicker 9-speed Fuller using the H-pattern instead of the U-pattern. We know that the Euro Test vehicle had a conventional round 9-speed knob with the range-change ‘banjoed’ to it. And we know that the Euro Test vehicle had a 9-speed box.
I reckon (only a guess, only an opinion) that the 1973-4 NGCs had 9-speeders with the chromium (bell) knob and that after that the more conventional one was employed. That means the interior shot used in the NGC sales brochure shows a 9-speed Fuller.
What do you reckon? Robert 
Hello Ken,
Enjoying yours and Jerry cooke’s contributions to various threads that I’m working my way through. After Peter Best left I became manager at Caravan and Martin Mears ran your Dammam depot.
Still in touch with Martin after all these years and recently exchanged emails with Jerry.
No photos of you, but Martin regularly hired our trailers to move BP oil barrels when you had a ship in Dammam. Some of him and one or two more to add soon on www.middleeasttruckingstories.co.uk
John
Saviem:
Bob Chadwick ERF sales director saw these on the dealers forecourt in Dammam whilst on a visit to Star Commercials there agent in Dammam - he was outraged and jumped on a plane to Jeddah - charged into my office in a fit of rage at us purchasing Kenworth - he then proceeded to threaten to take the ERF dealership agency of S Jones on his return to the UK which of course never happened.
I got to know Bob quite well when he became the sales director at North a West Triucks Northwich the DAF agent and bought dozens off himself for Harris Road Services a TDG company where I ended up after Trans ArabiaEvening all, this thread gets better each time I read it!
Would you all excuse me if I meander down the “scenic” route of thoughts that have come into my mind a little?
Ken, your recollections on Bob Chadwick made me smile. I remember having an order in with North West for some DAF tractors, and they did not arrive on time, and I let fly, (quite unreasonably), at Bob on the telephone…two hours later he burst through my office door carrying an enormous fire extinguisher shouting, “Im here to put the fire out”!.. End of animosity. I found him good to deal with, and I only had to park a couple of new ERFs on the front when he visited , to get some great deals !
Robert, several times on your threads you mention Ken Berresford…but did you know, that like yourself he had been a school teacher? Very personable fellow, and had originally studied ceramics, delightful company to be with, and a very professional “transport man”.
Ken, did Cliff Hardwickes son work for you in Trans Arabia? I knew Cliff when he worked for Tillotsons, prior to it becoming Lex, and long before Opal Transport Equipment. He chose good product in the Magyr tankers, some of my French clients ran them, very well specified.
Gentlemen, apologies for the diversion! I shall go back to my Bolinger now!
Cheerio for now.
Reply to Saviem’s question on Cliff Harwicks son
No he did not work for Trans Arabia - Cliff H had a joint venture company with an Arab the company was called Blue Sky transport - they operated a tanker fleet moving acid from the chemical plant in Damman to various decelenation plants around the company - almost daily deliveries to the Jeddah decel plant.
They used to buy trailer parts from Trans Arabia - I think they had Mack tractors , Pakistan drivers and UK trailers that were very much overloaded- I remember them coming in one day putting a lump of metal on the desk and have you one of them - well what the hell is it - a mono leaf spring - it was so mangled and unrecognisable.
I remember they had a very serious incident on the Riyahd to Taif road on a very bad corner - the whole lot turned over - trying to recover they split the tank of sulphuric acid - they dug a hole with a D9 and push the lot in including extras!
I had reason to call Cliff some years later and pulled his leg he wondered at first who was on phone - when he realised the answer was F O you ■■■■■■■■
Lots of tales from very interesting 6years
Ken Broster
robert1952:
I didn’t know Ken Beresford had been a teacher. Lot of it about. Jazzandy told us at the Retro Show that he started out as one too! Robert
Music teacher - and a good musician
Kenb:
robert1952:
I didn’t know Ken Beresford had been a teacher. Lot of it about. Jazzandy told us at the Retro Show that he started out as one too! RobertMusic teacher - and a good musician
And an incredible knowledge of Ceramics, together we shared a love of Baroque music!..funny mixture us lorry men!
Cheerio for now…should I open a “new” 74…or wait until tomorrow?
robert1952:
Kenb:
robert1952:
If you didn’t like stripping tilts in the Saudi desert, spare a thought for driver ‘Yoyo’ here, roping and sheeting with an ERF LV! RobertUpdate by Ken a Broster Oct 2014
Yes sheeting and roping in Saudi - would have thought it - it only really happened for 2 consignment
When we started work in October 76. Binzagr had had cargo in the port for over 2 years and unable to move it - the first consignment was of pallets (not containerised) of Moussy non alcoholic beer from Switzerland - it had stood out in the open for a long time and when we started to move it in temps of 40c plus the glass bottles started to birst - very dangerous with flying glass - we moved about 20 loads and sheeted them up to get off the docks into the warehouse.The second consignment was of marches - yes hundred of pallets on match sheeted over in the Korean inland port area - Binzager was the largest importer of matches into the country - they finally built a joint venture factory producing them in Jeddah - a Strange German chap was the GM
The pallets had been under cover for a long time and wild dogs were breeding amongst them again we had to sheet up to get to the warehouse.This trailer withYoyo must have been the Mousy beer as Yoyo got sacked within the first 12 months along with 5 others for using the trucks for hire and reward for there own pockets!!
Lots of tales I could tell - could write a book on the 6 years I was there and the experiences
Yes he was only to be reinstated a few years later with a few others to look after their rally job with only Olympic lorry Jones’s had.0
You are certainly bringing these pictures alive Ken. I could never see the point of that near-beer stuff!
I keep tip-toe-ing around these posts /threads to find a lorry more fun to drive than the NGC but I haven’t found one yet. I still have a GBH licence! Challenge me to drive something even more fun than the ERF NGC and I’ll come and try it. Robert
Easy, a 190-48 TurboStar with a 13spd (you don’t have to split if you don’t want to) and a mountain road with a passing lane so you don’t keep tripping over those weedy little Scanias
newmercman:
Easy, a 190-48 TurboStar with a 13spd (you don’t have to split if you don’t want to) and a mountain road with a passing lane so you don’t keep tripping over those weedy little Scanias
To be honest, I always rather hankered for go on one of those! Robert
ERF-Continental:
@Ken and Mick…in all fairness…it would greatly add and atribut if you both would write
the experiences and expectations with and without ERF-considerations.With respect…what was your idea on the NL/B-visit for 5MW’s and 7MW’s as well as the fact
that Bob (Robert Chadwick) reacted that way on Kenworth-purchases?A-J
Ken Broster update 14th oct 2014
A J. You must remember that this was over a six year period - the visit to holland and Belgium was 12 months in the situation on the Kenworths was four/five years in fact I did not now Bob untill he came - our/my ERF contact was the ERF export sales manager Derek Bill who in fact was to frighten to come out of his hotel onto the streets of Jeddah as were a number of the other UK sales managers for various companies that came.
I had not axe to grind for or against ERF - overall I thought the 7mw to be a fantastic piece of kit at that time - if only ERF had launched that as a UK and European truck they would have stole the market by then it would have been the lack of production facilities to cope with demand - the company was to small with poor cash to really compete.
jimbotruck:
380streamline:
Recently found article in Truck magazine early 90’s, the ERF ‘European’ or to give its correct model designation NGC 420.
How many were built? Interestingly, the test reported the 335 ■■■■■■■ engined test machine was quicker than a 140 ScaniaI have heard one or two people refer to these motors as “Sandbach Scanias” in the past, must be because the front grille and bonnet is similar to a 111 / 141. Anyone else ever heard that said about them??
They could have been in ERF had launched UK and Europe wide rather than looking at South africa
Thank you Ken! My purpose was to learn how the way of doing business then was with regard
to the Dutch and Belgian ERF-dealers. I assume Sandbach was not happy with transfering ERF’s
towards M/E nor Africa…as their own sales ‘force’ then was more transparent in what they
did and more important NOT did. At CDB you should have had Jean-Gilbert Denonville, Eddy
Deleers or Michel Hansquine as your counterpart on the sales-table…they were hungry for $
ERF-Continental:
Thank you Ken! My purpose was to learn how the way of doing business then was with regard
to the Dutch and Belgian ERF-dealers. I assume Sandbach was not happy with transfering ERF’s
towards M/E nor Africa…as their own sales ‘force’ then was more transparent in what they
did and more important NOT did. At CDB you should have had Jean-Gilbert Denonville, Eddy
Deleers or Michel Hansquine as your counterpart on the sales-table…they were hungry for $
I can’t think why ERF would have any resistance to Middle-East sales, given that plenty of ERFs went out to the Arabian Peninsula, mostly it seems to British operators doing ‘internals’. In 1976, when Trans Arabia was set up between S Jones and Bin Zagr, the 5MWs / 7MWs (NGCs) were just reaching the end of their production lives. Maybe ERF wanted to push the B-series. Remember that S Jones converted a number of 8-wheelers to 6x4 tractors and fitted them with brand new LHD B-series European cabs, once they had procured as many LHD 5MWs and 7MWs (NGCs) as they could lay hands on. I rather suspect that whatever happened to frustrate Trans Arabia’s acquisition of vehicles (if indeed that actually occurred - we have only the half-truths and gossip on this), was probably down to personal disagreements between men and if this is the case it is of little consequence and none of our business. If it was really to do with ERF’s inability to produce enough LHD units on time, then why were they so easily able to supply companies like Taseco in the Gulf? It doesn’t make sense. I see no point in seeking conspiracy theories forty years after the dust has settled! Robert
