I’ve just noticed that at the end of the last page it says: CONTINUED NEXT MONTH !!! So if anyone has the '78 August edition, perhaps we can finish the job off! Robert 
Seddon Atkinson sent a vehicle with the wrong wheelbase, so it could not couple to their “potential customer’s” trailer. Given that this mistake was bound to be reported in a monthly magazine, what does that say about the attitude of the company? “Seddon Atki hammered…top dogs in toughest test…” says the headline. Yeah, right.
In contrast, Volvo’s service fitters/technicians spent a month optimising their vehicle for the job, almost to the point of cheating, by removing the sunvisor, catwalk, tools etc. I wonder if that was the reason for their efforts being rubbished in the text? The F12, according to the report, was cramped and noisy, had poor visibillity and a heavy gearchange and pedal operation. It was “just a little disappointing, as was the F89…” Who would have thought it? Certainly not a reader of these threads, from which he or she would learn that the F89 and F12 were amongst the best-liked vehicles of their time, by operators and drivers alike.
Those magazine roadtests are fun to read, but most of the fun comes from reading between the lines, to find the joints between the facts and the b.s.
[zb]
anorak:
Seddon Atkinson sent a vehicle with the wrong wheelbase, so it could not couple to their “potential customer’s” trailer. Given that this mistake was bound to be reported in a monthly magazine, what does that say about the attitude of the company? “Seddon Atki hammered…top dogs in toughest test…” says the headline. Yeah, right.In contrast, Volvo’s service fitters/technicians spent a month optimising their vehicle for the job, almost to the point of cheating, by removing the sunvisor, catwalk, tools etc. I wonder if that was the reason for their efforts being rubbished in the text? The F12, according to the report, was cramped and noisy, had poor visibillity and a heavy gearchange and pedal operation. It was “just a little disappointing, as was the F89…” Who would have thought it? Certainly not a reader of these threads, from which he or she would learn that the F89 and F12 were amongst the best-liked vehicles of their time, by operators and drivers alike.
Those magazine roadtests are fun to read, but most of the fun comes from reading between the lines, to find the joints between the facts and the b.s.
And to add to the entertainment value (for me), the F12 only just by the skin of its teeth managed to better the old ERF European in the mountains. Oh! What glee! You can see why this Euro Test appealed to me, can’t you: first the ■■■■■■■ / Fuller S.A. 400; and then for pudding, no fewer than FOUR Euro TIR units with Fuller 'boxes. 
Robert
Just had another read- of the F12 again, the text says “…noise levels a lot higher than we expected…”, while the table shows it to be the quietest of the five vehicles tested! I guess that the tester could be forgiven for marking the Volvo down for a heavy gearshift, given that it was the only synchromesh-equipped vehicle in the group.
Elsewhere, the MAN is marked down for low wind resistance, because this meant more brake use on downhill sections! Bizarre.
[zb]
anorak:
Just had another read- of the F12 again, the text says “…noise levels a lot higher than we expected…”, while the table shows it to be the quietest of the five vehicles tested! I guess that the tester could be forgiven for marking the Volvo down for a heavy gearshift, given that it was the only synchromesh-equipped vehicle in the group.Elsewhere, the MAN is marked down for low wind resistance, because this meant more brake use on downhill sections! Bizarre.
Upon re-reading this test, I didn’t get the overall impression that the writer(s) were ‘doing down’ one lorry or another. In a few places they eulogise about the Volvo’s performance and abilities. I agree with you (and them) about the gear-shift: I used to hop in and out of F10/12 Volvos and Seddon-Atkinson 400, ERFs, Fodens, Fords etc and I always found the Fullers much nicer to use than the Volvo synchro box (or any other synchro boxs of the period). They are very complimentary about the MAN throughout, much more so, indeed, than they are about the Leyland Marathon; so I certainly don’t detect a protectionist agenda here. I get the impression, in all these old tests, that in general they remain truthful to how they found things at the time. After all, the fact that the F12 went on to become an iconic favourite was at that time beyond their (or our) imaginings. At the time, I preferd B-series ERFs to F10s so a lot of it is down to personal preference: just look at Jeremy Clarkson!! Robert 
Incidentally, do any of you OHS afficionados (eg Jazzandy) know exactly how many Seddon-Atkinson 400 left-hookers OHS had in the end? Robert 
Seeing those interior pics takes me back to 1981 when I was just 8 years old and being treated to my first ride in a proper lorry. It was a W reg 400 with a 265 Rolls, brown cab orange stripes belonged to a bloke called Ken Scott from Frating near Colchester.
@ Robert1952, I just want to add my thanks for those scans of TRUCK mag 1978. As I said elsewhere, TRUCK was (for me) head and shoulders above anything at the time, and nothing I’ve read since comes close.
Perhaps it deserves its own thread (if there isn’t one already).
ParkRoyal2100:
@ Robert1952, I just want to add my thanks for those scans of TRUCK mag 1978. As I said elsewhere, TRUCK was (for me) head and shoulders above anything at the time, and nothing I’ve read since comes close.Perhaps it deserves its own thread (if there isn’t one already).
Robert
Ok; Robert i really hope your are well ;and i alan would like to say a iig thank you for your massive contribution to all threads, sounds a bit soft but i absoutely love your input
swayze1:
Ok; Robert i really hope your are well ;and i alan would like to say a iig thank you for your massive contribution to all threads, sounds a bit soft but i absoutely love your input
Nothing soft about that: it takes a gentleman to show that kind of magnanimity. I appreciate your comments enormously! Robert
I copied this momentous occasion to my hard drive ages ago. Reading it the other day, I noticed another little gem below the main article:
Nice to read the EuroTest, I was always a big fan of the TRUCK road tests and being given the opportunity to do them myself was a real dream come true.
I did a EuroTest myself and consider it the pinnacle of my writing career, even though I still have my ramblings published in my monthly column in a Canadian magazine, I don’t expect to better the time I had at the greatest lorry magazine ever.
As an insider I can tell you this, the tester picked the winner, although the figures may add up to a different conclusion in some cases.
I did a EuroTest between a Daf, MAN and Renault, they were almost identical in times, mpg and productivity, with the MAN the overall winner on paper, I put it second though, to my mind the Daf was the better lorry.
So personal preference did cone into it, but we’re talking about Pat Kennett here, a better lorry man has yet to put pen to paper, so if he favoured a particular lorry, you can bet there was a bloody good reason!
Dont TTX of i think Oldham still have a lhd 400?. I think its X reg and i have seen it a few times at Truckfests
eric the judge:
Dont TTX of i think Oldham still have a lhd 400?. I think its X reg and i have seen it a few times at Truckfests
Are you thinking of Taylor’s 401 (pic below)? As far as I know the only LHD 401s had day cabs and were made for the military (pics below). Cheers, Robert
‘Bumped up’ for reference and potential new input from another thread. Robert
Here’s a couple of brand new ones.
I think OHS had ten in all. The first one was painted Royal Blue which was my mistake as I ordered it!