Fergie47:
Black and white scenes…
That’s a real treat Fergie47, thanks mate! 
pv83:
Some more classics I’ve encountered the last few weeks, some not yet retired…
Great photos PV…keep them comming…
Evening all,
Fergie, those black and white images are superb, and so evocative, Bourgey- Montreuil, and the Somua on the “rail - route”, (and of course they were owned by the SNCF)…but what a company…
Those Renaults of the 1930s, beautiful lorries, strong in wind and limb, and yes, those engines were good lookers, That Air France Super Constellation, what a beautiful aircraft, and the Unic refuler is quite handsome, despite having a rather “fragile” transmission! Now Fuels SACOR, there is a company of interest, that Leyland was not the only one that they ran, (and liked)…can anyone remember the FG Foden re-fuelers that were operated at Paris Charles de Gaulle…light grey…then they went somewhere down south…Michel, Froggy…do you know of them?
Now Pete, W J Smith, real atmosphere, that picture is outside the Albert Road Gate of the West Park at Wolverhampton…Very Royalist town Wolverhampton…Queens Square, Queens Arcade, Victoria Square, Queen Street, Albert on his `Oss, Princess Street, Albert Road, …the list goes on…no wonder she spontaneously Knighted the Mayor on the occasion of Queen Victorias visit to the Town…(never a City…Sh…)
Then Patrick really triggers some memories with his picture of that DAF 2600…boy I liked those lorries!
When I first started using Dover instead of Tilbury it must have been around 66/67. Totally different experience, no longer an individual, but just another driver, (and no stirring run down the Thames Embankment, prior to shipping)!, just a dismal grind down the A2, through miserable Bridge with its steep bank…(well it was with about 90 hp, and 13 tons).
But the compensation was seeing all the exotic stuff coming over here, Berliets, Bussings, the odd aged Bernard, The odd big LB76 Scania, or its bonneted bretheren, Volvo in several guises, (but never cought my eye), Mercedes, (of course), and the futuristic DAF 2600s. The ones that really stood out were the oh so French refrigerated outfits of Roger Rieubland et Cie, coupled to unusual to my eyes Trailor tilts, with Great Britain - Europe Express, or the step frame home built aluminium bodied refrigerated trailers declaring Hendaye-Agen-Paris…(I knew Paris, but Hendaye, Agen)?, and later with total beautiful looking step framed Klégéfrance Thermo King trailers.
But as I bobbed around France in the late 60s I became aware at what a company Rieubland were. They were truly International Hauliers, Italy and Spain, concentrating on produce, that had decided Roger Rieubland to create an international freight hub, complete with customs clearance at Hendaye, Pyrénées Orientals back in the early 60s. Processing fruit and vegetable traffic from Spain and Italy, and transhipping onto his own , (then), Wileme powered fleet. And those Willeme`s included the ones with AEC 690 power under that beautiful exotic Cottard Horizon cab.
Then Rieubland came to Great Britain, first with produce, then dry freight…later his lorries would carry Concorde parts back to France…and in France would serve the US Forces…until general De Gaulle "asked " them to leave in `66!
A substantial outfit, and they diversified… That site at Hendaye was large, and Rieubilaland obtained a concession to sell Facel Vega motor cars, then BMW…then …Austin!..So the fleet ran some Austin lorries,I remember being amazed at seeing a drop frame furniture van parked in Agen, with a lhd Austin FF pulling it…But then came Volvo cars…and then Datsun…this was diversification.
But then there were the Willeme - BMC angle cab lorries, with big van bodies…and their Willeme`s grew AEC 760 engines…But Willeme was becoming weak, there was no help from Leyland, and production was below 400 per year…Their Dealers began to desert them…
Roger Rieubland purchased all his Willeme`s from Bordeaux Dealership Lair…but Lair took on DAF…so Riebbland acquired the new futuristic 2600 DAF…and that was the vehicle that so took my eye one winters morning in cold wet Dover, even its subdued grey livery simply could not dull this gem!..Rieubland ran close on 30 of these lovely lorries, how grand that cab looked. They also had FB88s particularly for the UK work, where axle weights were a tad more delicate than in France…and of course they ran some Saviems…
But when I went through their doors with Saviem, their transport business was on the wane…there was more profit in motor cars, and freight forwarding…not running lorries
But I will never forget seeing that grey DAF 2600 in Dovers murky morning light, like a space ship from another planet…
Cheerio for now.
Even their dull grey livery could not disguise such exotic machinery! Even though those early ones had a magnificent 220 hp, but the later ones a roaring 250hp for 35 tonnes…and believe me they carried full weight.
An other famous meat transport company who owned Willeme before Daf :
One Foden air-refueller is still in south Alsace ,it finished its work in Basel-Mulhoude airport a few years ago.
The french-swiss Foden when beeing moving rest place.
An aircraft fueller. I remember an article about a similar truck in LVA (la Vie de l’Auto) maybe 20 years ago.
Fergie this one you posted looks like a KRAZ either Russian or East German at a guess
cheers Johnnie
sammyopisite:
Fergie this one you posted looks like a KRAZ either Russian or East German at a guess0
cheers Johnnie
Can’t take credit for that Johnnie, it was PV83’s photos… You need to go to spec savers mate… 
Fergie47:
sammyopisite:
Fergie this one you posted looks like a KRAZ either Russian or East German at a guess0
cheers Johnnie
Can’t take credit for that Johnnie, it was PV83’s photos… You need to go to spec savers mate…
I don’t mind who takes credit for it, as long as we just can enjoy it, with or without spec’s that is… 
But you’re not to far of Johnnie, the combination was parked up at a truckstop just north of Leipzig, couldn’t see it properly, but I think it had summat that looked like ZIL written on the bonnet… For as the trailer goes, I’ve got absolutely no idea whatsoever as what it can be, did looked as it could take a fair amount of weight though, just like the old girder trailer from Pickfords, like 
Cheers, Patrick
Fergie47:
John…a DAF… with you’re favorite load…
Evening all,
Fergie, that takes me back, Fenech`s from Montpellier. Used to be Berliet from the 50s, then along comes DAF…and with DAF came finance…or credit periods, or relaxed underwriting, and coupled with such a modern lorry they sold well! Simply out flanked the traditional French lorry builders, exactly a duplicate of what was to happen in Great Britain…a good deal to get in, and great backup to keep the business…and in the main keep the business they did!
Volvo followed, Scania less so, (but very competitive list pricing), then Fiat, and Mercedes joined the “war”…and the market share of the importers grew!
If I remember correctly Fenech`s were based out towards Nimes from Montpellier, at the Zone Artisinale, at Castries. Ran around 30 odd wine tanks, (quite a few from Marseille based Coder…beautiful riding tanks), and fridges as well as some dry freight stuff.
When I was at Hartshornes, Fransen Transport were one of our clients. Back then it was run by Nick Nicholls, from Pineapple Place in Hereford. One day he turned up in a brand new 2600, so of course my pal Rob Owens and myself jumped at the chance of a drive…and of course “rubbished” the DAF as a competitor to “our” F88, (which of course we could not get to suell)! But in truth I was well taken by the DAF 2600, despite the large steering wheel, and spindly gearlever to stir those ZF cogs…actually I could have driven her anywhere, I was that taken…but of course never admitted it to Nick!
No wonder they sold well to French operators…and there was a Heavy Haulage 6x4 as well!
Cheerio for now.
Mack truck fitted with the same Fernand Genève cab as the Unics of the '60s. Only a handful were produced.
Froggy55:
Mack truck fitted with the same Fernand Genève cab as the Unics of the '60s. Only a handful were produced.
Sorry but that Mack is uglier than me and Fergie will no doubt agree
pete smith:
Froggy55:
Mack truck fitted with the same Fernand Genève cab as the Unics of the '60s. Only a handful were produced.Sorry but that Mack is uglier than me and Fergie will no doubt agree
Morning all,
Pete, that a`int ugly…you should see some of the later, and last Letournier cabs, long bonnets, and only straight panels…they would give you nightmares!
Cheerio for now.
Saviem:
pete smith:
Froggy55:
Mack truck fitted with the same Fernand Genève cab as the Unics of the '60s. Only a handful were produced.Sorry but that Mack is uglier than me and Fergie will no doubt agree
Morning all,
Pete, that a`int ugly…you should see some of the later, and last Letournier cabs, long bonnets, and only straight panels…they would give you nightmares!
Cheerio for now.
There ain’t many straight panels on me either…most are bulging! Two more books down the library ready to collect when your ready John, Cheer’s Pete
I don’t know how Mack managed it! They seemed to contrive to make European cabs on their products look as ugly as Yankee truck of the period! Take the tall version of the Motor Panels Mk 4 cab: Scammell made a very attractive ‘Crusader’ out of it; ERF made a slightly less attractive but very presentable ‘European’ out of it, and Mack made this gawky duckling out of it!! Robert 
Love these old pics on here.The trucks were so much more intresting with real charachter unlike
todays motors.
This old scammell with a plane coming through Bournemouth.
