Evening all, what a week,…and not just my internet problems, which of course are ongoing…and of little significance in the real world,
We have been frantic, consolidating loads of fodder to send down to flooded Somerset…amazing how our media concentrate on the suffering close to London, and simply forget, (probably due to ignorance, for they are an ignorant lot), the real tragedy affecting the Farming community…and not of their making. People are losing generations of work, livelehoods gone forever, losses that cannot be measured in £££££££. And there is no organised help…if it was in some Godforsaken African country…well the media would be out in force…But here…its only farmers, (and they are rich so, and so`s) total ignorance, and we all will reap the “rewards”.
We have done our little bit, and Im proud of what we have done, but my heart aches for what has been allowed to happen through gross incompetence, and “political” meddling, what a shambolic country we have become!!
Now David, "bib and brace overalls were smart wear when I started driving, (but they always looked better when they were well washed and faded. I always wore them…and a collar and tie, for looking smart could always get you through “doors” often closed!
Same when I first started driving in France, and down to sunny Italy…bib and brace, polished boots, collar and tie,…but the tie often came loose after Lyon, or Bordeaux…even a Foden S20 cab could get a little warm!!! Odd , Ive still got bib and brace overalls, but tend to wear a cravat now, after all I own the kit Im driving!
But thinking about the clothing I have worn to drive over the years…the T shirt, “je suis un routier tres muscle”, the Berliet driving coats…with a large “Turbo Cockrel” badge, those cheap pale blue Volvo anoraks, and the (very) padded Scania ones, (that was a deal for a Saviem suitcase, with some Swedish Gentlemen on one of Pat`s Eurotests)…as was the Fiat travelling bag…and the MAN suit bag and hanger…but perhaps the best deal was the complete dinner set, in fine bone china, complete with discreet Mercedes Benz insignia…AND a truly Teutonic Alarm clock…for a number of Mack Anoraks…and weve still got the remenants in the office today!
Our friend Michel has filled you in on the details of that handsome “nez de requin” shark nose Willeme…and so he should for his son has a beautiful example.Photographs do not do justice to this wonderful lorry. As Michel says the one on the photograph is the short single sleeper, model UC, 60 cms longer was the UB with two berths, easy to spot with it`s extra sleeper window. The day cab was the U, all built by Carrosserie Levallois, but Willeme also constructed a version for their public works products by utilising the side and rear panels of the "Sahara " cab by Geneve, coupled to the "nez de requin " nose.
When I was working from Marseille some of Soc Sita-Baldoni`s 4x2 LD610T tractors were still in service pulling their petrol tanks, and occasionally when I was visiting Tpts Mayer at Nancy I would see one of the rare Tpts SORETRA tankers from Metz, with their big tropical air cleaners mounted on their nose.
Michel has given a brief resume of the Willeme engines,4,6, & 8 cylinder in lines shared identical bore and stroke at 130x170mm. It was only as the market requirements for more HP became vital, that Willeme turbocharged the 518 series. As Michel states it gave a resounding 255hp…but like so many early turbo engines lacked reliability!
Willeme was a producer of quality engineered lorries, but in volume manufacturing terms was quite small at around 400 units per annum, (Berliet were producing 8/10000 units per annum in the 50/60s). Size wise Willeme was similar to , (my other great love), Bernard…in fact Louis Willeme, and Eduard Bernard were personal friends.
To gain more financial weight, there was a short lived production agreement with Unic in `58, which gave birth to the handsome, twin headlight, Unic hybrid LU610T, “nez de requin”, but that only lasted 18 months, and served to loose both partners customers!
Then 62, there was the AEC tie up, (some of the very last nez de requin`s were AEC powered), and the tie up with BMC on middleweights…this could have gone oh so much further, (and who could guess what could have been achieved) but our Lancastrian friends killed it dead…as they did so much else!!!
Willeme, Le Roi des poids lourds,…truly the king of the heavies…
Im away to a couple of glasses of 84, not a bad Bollinger…and remember those beautiful Shark Nose Willemes!
Cheerio for now.
.“HE” looks a bit fierce to me, them’s tough looking suckers up Norf aint 'em…
so he’s obviously the G’uvnor and he’s told the Bretton tractor driver to ■■■■ off and get his “brew” while Dave has his photy taken.Oh! and that hay crop looks a bit light probably only yield about 2 bales from all 4 acres 
