Saviem's fan club (Part 2)

Not so dommage, Eddie! I would have loved to experience driving mythic British trucks suc as eight-wheelers of the '50s or mighty Scammells!
The N88’s cab was reputed to be very uncomfortable.

The Berliet GAK (1959-72) was a pleasant truck to drive.

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They were merged into another French company, well known but my brain cannot recall the name at the moment. :roll_eyes: If it doesn’t come back I’ll ask my mate in Dole.

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French Wikipedia says they went bust in 1990. Onatra (transport routier) — Wikipédia

A different Onatra is headquartered in Kinshasa, DRC.

The other big French tank group that springs to mind is GCA , but it seems they have no links to Onatra. They might well have picked up some of their work of course.

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Here’s the story of Onatra, in French of course:

Here are a few Onatra old trucks.

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Photo 3. That’s a nice looking outfit. always liked the Berliets of the 70s.

2 more Onatra wagons


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More nice looking outfits…

Does anyone else think that these older motors had more individuality and charm than today’s wagons that all look the same.

Photo 2. not sure why the fronts on blocks, washing the trailer out perhaps.








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If the UK doesn’t fix its pot holes, this is the future


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The bloke in yellow seems happy enough.

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Just compare these two Berliets. The first is a TRK 10, first produced in 1960, fitted with a 180 (SAE) bhp 9,6 litres engine. The first COE Berliet tractor.
Berliet TRK 10 Onatra

This one is a TR 12 with the 250 bhp 12 litres engine (c 1966). Its cab is mounted differently, and the front axle is different.
Berliet TR 12 rouge

The axle may not be that different: it’s the Trilex wheels on the newer one that makes it look different. As for the cabs, the newer cab is just bigger - wider and longer. :wink:

The greatest difference seems to be the coloured photo has the front axle set further forward. The sleeper compartment may be slightly larger.

I think the red cab is actually bigger. It has two seams behind the small window, as opposed to one in the B&W cab. It appears to have an extra section joined in there.
An original Super cab?

Re the wheels on blocks? If they were trying to raise the front of the trailer, wouldn’t blocks have been better placed under the drive axle?
No help with any better theory though, sorry!

That’s what I was trying to convey, Frangers, the red cab being marginally bigger.
Now I’m surer that it is. What I initially thought was a ladder, looks like a 6" fillet.

You’ve got it partly right! The TR 12’front axle is indeed set further forward. The cab itself is mounted slightly higher to house the bigger engine, but it is the same.

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I think you’r right too, Franglais; the cab looks some 10 centimetres longer, due to the two seans behind the sleeper’s window.

Citroën 700 (1967). Available either with petrol or diesel engine.

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Not trucks, but I Googled Margnat, and they were (although I am sure Froggy already knows) a supplier of table wines, who became SVF, then Pernod/Ricard and now Castell Freres.
Were they the litre bottles with a plastic cap held in by a foil top?
At various Castell depots I have hung around for ages, and also been told “You’re not booked…but if you get on that bay quick, I’ll squeeze you in before the full load”.

Back on topic though, the headlights seem to be in a housing allowing for the option of a double set? Or am I mistaken as I was before with the Scania?

Margnat was an awful red wine mostly sold in plastic bottles. It these times (up to the '80s), there were several brands of such low quality, throat-agressive wines, but most disappeared. They were nicknamed gros rouge qui tache, that meaning “thick red wine that stains”.

I do still buy a little cheap red or white wine, but to cook bourguignon or blanquette; certainly not to drink!

Removal truck built on a Berliet PCR 10 bus chassis (1956)

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Never drink a wine without a proper cork in the bottle used to be sound advice.
I don’t think that is true today as some good quality wines do come with synthetic corks or screw caps, and some (in my non expert opinion) decent wines in BiB (bag in box).
The plastic bottles though? Cooking only, agreed.

The BiB wines can be awkward loads though. They need to be well wrapped on the pallets as any load straps will do a lot of damage to them. Much harder to restrain than bottles in cartons. Even in box trailers they can shift around if poorly wrapped onto pallets.
(Phew just squeezed a transport reference in there)