Truck Shite

[martc]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I can't quite explain it, but there's something about this one. Is it AI made?

I'm not sure if it's AI but it's certainly a colourised BW photo, perhaps the colourisation has given it a 'strange' look? Here's the original BW photo -

Saying that, AI may explain the presence of a highly unlikely GB registered Mercedes Diesel lorry in London in the '30's. This sort of detail is typical of AI which has no nuance.

[worldofceri]

The signs and signwriting are all legible and make sense, so on that basis I’m going to say not AI. Could be a scene from a movie or TV show (perhaps made later than the ‘30s) which could explain slightly incongruent props.

[Metal Guru]

7 hours ago, martc said:

A Kwik Fit MAZ-504V transporting tyres for BELAZ mining dumpers.

I f@cking knew wagon wheels were much bigger when I was a kid!

[quicksilver]

16 hours ago, martc said:

I'm not sure if it's AI but it's certainly a colourised BW photo, perhaps the colourisation has given it a 'strange' look? Here's the original BW photo -

Saying that, AI may explain the presence of a highly unlikely GB registered Mercedes Diesel lorry in London in the '30's. This sort of detail is typical of AI which has no nuance.

I think it is a legit period photo. I recall reading somewhere that a few of those Merc lorries were indeed sold new here before the war. Don't know if they were manufacturer imports or a private venture but they must have been among the first diesel lorries available as the British makes were mostly still using petrol engines then. Obviously the war put paid to that and it wasn't until the late sixties that official imports began. 

[worldofceri]

If they survived the war they probably didn’t last much longer what with the German connection. Can’t imagine BRS would have taken them on.

[danthecapriman]

It was around the very end of the 60’s and early 70’s when German stuff started becoming more common on uk roads. 
For Mercedes it was their LP models that were about the first Mercedes truck to be sold/used here in any good numbers.

They really took off properly in the 80’s though.

[quicksilver]

I braved the heat to go to the VE Day-themed celebration day in the local park this afternoon. Only one military vehicle on display but it was a good one, not the common-or-garden Jeep I was expecting. This is a Guy Quad Ant gun tractor and apparently one of only three known survivors worldwide as most of them were lost at Dunkirk. There was supposed to be the more common Morris version there too but it decided it didn't want to play.

[Vantman]

[martc]

On 23/06/2025 at 07:58, Vantman said:

Here's some background info -

https://www.truckanddriver.co.uk/latest-stories/trojan-8870-c-est-magnifique-tom-gives-biglorryblog-the-low-down-on-this-heavyweight/

[martc]

Lightweight!

[martc]

[martc]

1934 Goliath Atlas.
The Goliath Atlas, also known as the Hansa-Lloyd Atlas,  was manufactured between 1932 and 1935 in Bremen. The engine had a single cylinder of 594 cc, developing 14 HP at 2500 rpm. Its top speed was 64 km/h (40 mph). It was an improvement on the 1929 Goliath Express, which carried 0.8 tonnes and could do up to 50 km/h (31 mph), and its predecessor, the 1926 Goliath K1, which carried 0.55 tonnes both had open cabs.
Note the front opening door to which the steering column was attached, like an Issetta. The door hinge is on the right forcing the passenger to exit first. Original cost was 2450 Reichsmark.

[martc]

[martc]

More foreigners in the (former) USSR. These Finnish Sisu's were purchased for logging in Karelia in the mid 1990's. Again, why wasn't there any locally built lorries to do this, the USSR (even in the '90's) had several companies more than capable of making logging lorries.

[martc]

Berlin-Schöneeweide 1979. On the right is an IFA W50 of the NVA, followed by a mandatory Wartburg 353, followed by the mandatory Trabant 601. I've actually seen scenes like this with my own eyes.

[martc]

We had a discussion somewhere about RHD Italian lorries. Well here's another one. RHD helped negotiate alpine passes with narrow roads, hair pin bends and precipitous drops.

[martc]

Iran. The IKCO Arisun clothed a Hillman Hunter chassis with Peugeot shaped parts and their own pick up bed.

There's also a Volga to the left for a bonus.

[Snipes]

2 hours ago, martc said:

Berlin-Schöneeweide 1979. On the right is an IFA W50 of the NVA, followed by a mandatory Wartburg 353, followed by the mandatory Trabant 601. I've actually seen scenes like this with my own eyes.

Any relation with the GAZ 66?

[Dyslexic Viking]

1 hour ago, Snipes said:

Any relation with the GAZ 66?

No, not at all.

The IFA W50 is pure East German and the engine is the 4VD engine a 6.5 4-cylinder diesel also used in Fortschritt machines such as tractors and combine harvesters.

The Soviet/Russian GAZ 66 is a lighter and smaller truck with a V8 petrol engine.

[martc]

The first two Metro prototypes (carriages 4001 and 4002) being delivered to Middle Engine Lane in North Tyneside. This facility had 2.4km of track and a tunnel area replicate ops in NuT city centre. 

The site is now home to the Stephenson Steam Railway after it was taken out of use after the Metro opened in 1980.

[martc]

In service with HMG.

[martc]

[martc]

More IFA W50 action. Note the Multicar photobombing on the left. Multicar is the only surviving company of the DDR's transport combine.

[martc]

[martc]

A Pegaso J4, it's a Spanish built Austin-Morris J4, but built in 1983!

[Vantman]

1 hour ago, martc said:

The first two Metro prototypes (carriages 4001 and 4002) being delivered to Middle Engine Lane in North Tyneside. This facility had 2.4km of track and a tunnel area replicate ops in NuT city centre. 

The site is now home to the Stephenson Steam Railway after it was taken out of use after the Metro opened in 1980.

Atkinson ballast tractor unit?

[Volksy]

1 hour ago, martc said:

A Pegaso J4, it's a Spanish built Austin-Morris J4, but built in 1983!

Didn't end production until 1989 due to Iveco taking over Pegaso/SAVA 

[willswitchengage]

Kenworth somethingorother that I saw in France this morning. Nice to see a driver actually changing gear with a large lever.

 

[Vantman]

Reliant Ant,i wonder what the payload of that was?😄

[danthecapriman]

4 hours ago, martc said:

A Pegaso J4, it's a Spanish built Austin-Morris J4, but built in 1983!

The original SAVA J4 vans were pretty much identical to the BMC J4 van. It was a partnership type thing where BMC allowed a Spanish company to build their designs. Quite a few British vehicles of different brands did it - Land Rover, Thames, Commer to name a few. The BMC/Leyland FG was built by the same company in Spain too, but had an extra couple of grill slats on the cab front to aid cooling in the hotter country.

The J4 was built identical to the BMC one until BMC stopped making them. Afterwards SAVA/Pegaso changed the front end styling to the one in the pic and carried on making them into the 80’s. 
I think the partnership itself was ended by British Leyland in the end.