when growimg up this model was always remarked to as the Sabrina cab… ERF also used the name on one of there rigid models with a bonnet on.
that looks like an s39 to me dave , was it a bald bloke driving it ? sabrina cab was the s21 also called the mickey mouse . us old buggers remember these things . next time you see said bald bloke , give him my regards , cheers , dave
rigsby:
that looks like an s39 to me dave , was it a bald bloke driving it ? sabrina cab was the s21 also called the mickey mouse . us old buggers remember these things . next time you see said bald bloke , give him my regards , cheers , dave
I’ve had this conversation loads of times with different people over the years and I’m almost sure this must be a regional thing, but the S39 was refered to as I remember, yes its the bald 1 driving just headin south from Banbury on his way down to Didcot with a load of Shell on for Cannons… You keeping OK?
settling back in the groove dave , just back from 5 weeks holiday in scotland , great time , but the caravan gets a bit cramped eventually and we start to miss the home comforts . hope you are ok and the job is going well for you , cheers , dave
never mind trucks mate… 5 weeks in Scotland thats “living the dream” … and many more hols to come, take care . Sepo
Some loads & load carriers go together just right 
When I found this photo from Botswana in my archive I thought that it was an imported British vehicle, but when I search the name on google I found that Stuttaford was a South African removal company. So I wonder if the cab is made in South Africa, or in the UK since it´s a Foden… maybe someone can help me with this question.
/Stellan
That is a crew cab version of Fodens S60 cab, they were not too common here but the half cab version of it (S50) was used by plenty of quarrying companies like Tilcon, ARC etc.
Pete.
windrush:
That is a crew cab version of Fodens S60 cab, they were not too common here but the half cab version of it (S50) was used by plenty of quarrying companies like Tilcon, ARC etc.Pete.
Interesting, I thought the cab was made local in South Africa… have never seen anything like it before. Thank you for the info Pete
/Stellan
Hi adr, regarding the two old Fodens, the one nearest the camera is ODN565M and it was the first S80 to come to Flowers tranport of York. It was driven from new by a chap called Fred Barker for about two years, it then passed through several hands before I got it after passing my class one in April 1976. I drove it for about six months before it was disposed of. All I did with it was 20ft containers from Liverpool to Rowntrees of York, it was fitted with twist locks and although the job was a bit mundane it was a doddle of a job. ODN was replaced with an artic and was one of the last 8 leggers to leave Flowers. It may have gone straight into fairground work with Shaws after leaving Flowers but it stayed with Shaws for a long time and just a couple of years ago was retired and bought by John Murphy for preservation. Regards Tony H.
The first lorry I drove after passing my “class 1” was an old S80 belonging to Tom Mitchell, a Cornish potato merchant.
They had a small satellite site just outside Auchtermuchty in Fife which serviced contracts they had for Scottish Prisons and Rosyth Dockyard among others.
I got some part time work when I was back shift or night shift at my “real job”, collecting potatos from growers in Fife and Angus.
At the time, I thought I was king of the road. It was a real steep learning curve though, after training on a Ford D Series with a synchro 6 speed box, pulling an empty, flat, 30ft trailer, I was flung in at the deep end and told to get on with it.
I’m sure the Foden had a David Brown Gearbox which had three gears, high and low range, a splitter, and crucially, no syncromesh!
Don’t know which engine it had, but can recall it wasn’t too powerful…either that or I was frequently over loaded, which could be quite possible.
After I had “promoted” myself to a full time driving job, I saw the old bus pulling a showmans trailer with Tom Mitchells name still on the front.
Happy days.
Foden ran an S60 unit on the scotch run with the spares it came up twice a week to Carlisle and Glasgow Depos.
The photo of Joe Dean’s Foden is the first time I have seen one of Alans motors dirty they were usually very smart. Eddie.
Why were Fodens offered with constant mesh 'boxes until the 4000 series production ended?
I coped well with them but one colleague when he started, returned to the yard complaining the 8spd 'box in his 3000 series was knackered…He’d never driven a crash box before and thought they’d vanished in the '70s.
lowreduction:
Hi Tony H. Thanks for the background info’ on those wagons, its always interesting to hear a motors history, particularly ones that end up on the Fairground’s.
Regards Chris
Hello,I am the guy who wrote the review of the FODEN SPECIAL VEHICLES,Wobbe Reitsma,Book for Amazon UK,and having studied Foden Motor Vehicles for years and years,I do know what I am talking about.
I came across the following comment the other day:-
“by erfguy » Tue Jun 26, 2012 7:37 pm”
“I was on Amazon looking at the FODEN SPECIAL VEHICLES book and I noticed some one had done a review so i read through it and this bloke near the end was refering to certain models being called Sabrina’s namely S21,S36 and S39s I put in a comment that having been driving and around Fodens for 40yrs have yet to come across the name Sabrina, ERF yes but not Foden, he replied stating that he has heard the name used by showmen. Anybody on here ever heard of a FODEN SABRINA ■■?. Eddie”
Yeah,well,as he said, he replied to my review with the following:-
"… in his review quotes the S21, S34, S36 & S39 as being Sabrina models I am afraid you got it wrong as the Sabrina was based on one cab style which was the KV it was a KV with a short bonnet and had nothing to do with any models produced after the KV. Eddie Waugh. "
With respect,and to be fair,Mr.Waugh has not given me a fair hearing,both in his Amazon UK reply to me
and his comments about the Foden Sabrina on this Website.
First of all,I NEVER mentioned the Foden S21 Spaceship Sputnik Cab in my Amazon UK review in regard to the S24,S34,S36 and S39 Sabrina Cabs.
Secondly,in regard to the use of the Sabrina name for Foden S24,S34,S36 and S39 Cabs he said quote:“…
he replied stating that he has heard the name used by showmen.”,unquote.
I will now quote myself,because what I actually said in my reply to him is this:-
“A substantial number of road haulage people,lorry operators,enthusiasts,etc gradually nicknamed the S24,S34,S36 and S39 Cabs Sabrina,including travelling fun fair operators who operated many Foden lorries fitted with these cabs.And just because some people have never heard of the Foden Sabrina,does not mean everybody else has never heard of it,too. The Foden Sabrina cab name has been in circulation for above thirty-five years at least. As somebody pointed out on the BIGLORRYBLOG Website,Leyland introduced the Leyland Blueline,Leyland Redline,Guy Greenlineand AEC Yellowline (As Good As Gold) Commercial Vehicle Ranges in July 1970. Peter Davies,the well known lorry photographer and author,knew about the Bluelines and Redlines,but it was not until above forty years later that he first learnt of the Greenlines and Yellowlines!Likewise,have you ever heard of the PAUL IS DEAD Story,involving ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney? This story is above forty years old,but people are still hearing about it for the first time.As a matter of fact,in the early 1960s there was brief vogue when lorrydrivers nicknamed the Foden S21 Spaceship Sputnik Cab Sabrina,but this vogue died out.There are a substantial number of referances to the Foden S24,S34,S36& S39 Sabrina Cabs being named Sabrina on Internet websites,forums,photograph sharing websites,etc.”
Thus,to try and avoid any further misunderstandings in regard to the Foden Sabrina and ERF Sabrina names,I have now revised the Foden S24,S34,S36 and S39 Sabrina Cabs part of my review by differentiating these Foden Sabrina and ERF Sabrina lorries,and so on. And besides,I do not want to be misquoted again.
The Foden Sabrina name was/is in use in various parts of the country,it is not as universal as the S21 Spaceship Sputnik name,yet.But the Internet is drawing information together from all over the world.Thus people are constantly learning about things that they might never have known about if it was not for the Internet…including learning about the Foden S24,S34,S36 and S39 Cabs being named Sabrina.
So I have to say thank you very much to Sepo for helping to prove what I have said above,complete with a photograph of his father’s Foden S39 Sabrina 4AXB6/32 4x2 Articulated Lorry,ONE 347H,operated by Claribel Carriers,of Manchester :-
Sepo:
when growimg up this model was always remarked to as the Sabrina cab… ERF also used the name on one of there rigid models with a bonnet on.
Foden Sabrina. Foden S24 Sabrina. Foden S34 Sabrina. Foden S36 Sabrina. Foden S39 Sabrina - there are many references to these on the Internet…
RENÉE PILOT.
Well I’m not sure mate,
I’ve had a very keen interest in road transport and trucks for as long as I can remember. I spend a lot of time reading truck related books and magazines I also spend far too much time on sites such as these learning new things about different makes and models.
Over the years I’ve spoken with many people in the road transport industry.
I would say I have a fairly varied and informed knowledge of trucks from many different manufacturers,to the point of being a certified truck nerd.
I’ve a whole wall sized book shelf with over 600 hundred magazines and in excess of 100 different truck books and I can safely say that I’ve never ever seen,read,heard or come across any reference to a Foden of any model being refereed to as a Sabrina.
ERF yes,most defiantly and I’m sure many will agree with me on this,but a Foden not ever.
I’m not saying you’re wrong mate,you can call a truck what ever you please,but I can’t ever recall a Foden being given this name.
I’d be very interested if you could produce any written material of the said Foden Sabrina.
If I didn’t know better I’d think your having a wind up!
Cheers Jamie
RENÉE PILOT:
Hello,I am the guy who wrote the review of the FODEN SPECIAL VEHICLES,Wobbe Reitsma,Book for Amazon UK,and having studied Foden Motor Vehicles for years and years,I do know what I am talking about.Not so much a review, more like an exercise in minutea!