A Mack F 700 of the Borca fleet. They replaced their famous Bernards in the '70s and '80s.
The last Borca Bernard I saw, and remember following quite a time before I manage to overtake it, was in 1981 between Nevers and Luzy. It was similat to this one, registeres in 1967, and thus certainly one of the last produced.
Oh yes, I omitted to mention the Mack bears a 1970 registration, and the trailer (n° 106) is the same on both pictures
The Mack F700 seems to have been quite popular in France, three from Alain Mugica on flickr (posted with permission):
All have set-forward front axles and twin rears - lazy axle or double-drive?
In its last years (1963, I think), Bernard was bought by Mack, and Mack engines fitted alongside with the Bernard ones.
I think they were all 6x4s, but it need checking.
First pic…This is being recovered from the Rhone river just south of Lyon where Debeaux had a depot right next to it. Would like to know what happened. I have posted in the past some pics of it in the river, looking a bit sheepish…
3rd pic. A remarkable similarity to pic 2 these mixers, but I don’t think they’re ex military… Foggy will know
Pic 4 Rare night time shot of a working Bernard, possible a fruit / Veg market ?
Pic 5 Down the Renault factory. which one, down to Froggy again
Pic 6 & 7
Driver of the year ? French style, Nice old UNIC and two proud drivers. Do they still do DoY in France and UK ? or is that a thing of the past.
Cheers Fergie
Oily certainly looks like Loheac 76 Le Havre plates Cheers
Yes, they are early Loheac’s, I wonder if they were based on, or were a modified ex military wagon, they’re very similar.
Not sure how Loheac started, perhaps buying and refitting old U.S motors before bringing in his own designs ?
I don’t think it’s US military, at least not in that form. Yanks always liked the front axle at the front.
These cabs were manufatured by Loheac, and fitted on various ex WW-II American chassis. The tractors were IH M 426, and the 6-wheelers Diamond-T or Corbitt.
Engines were at first Berliet (1950s), then DAF, Renault or Scania.
A bit of digging around confirms your comment - see Alain Mugica’s comment on this flickr post - they started by taking old US Army chassis and making their own cabs.
Unic Izoard, 1957, somewhere in N. Africa (via Alain Mugica on flickr)
