Category Archives: Scania

Astran Scania 143 Tekno Model

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For some of you who were not lucky enough to get your hands on the 1st Astran Tekno model, the Scania 111, you may have you chance again to own an Astran Tekno collectors item. After a brief chat with Astran MD, Kevin Letham, he tell’s me there are just a few 1/50 scale models left on the pre-order list. Currently the models are due to finally arrive from the Tekno factory in February and i’m told they make excellent Valentines gifts!!. If you want to be in with the chance of getting your hands on one of only 450 models, email kevin@astran-cargo.com and title your email “Scania 143 Tekno Model”.

Astran Scania 143 Tekno Model

Astran Scania 143 Tekno Model

The truck in production is a Scania 143 Streamline, complete with tilt trailer as driven by Trevor Dodwell and as featured in my top 3 Astran Liveried trucks of all time. This particular truck, M509 WCK, ended up being at the top of my top 3, read all about it by clicking HERE.

Top 3 Astran Liveried Trucks – NVW 484P

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Right through this little trio of my Top 3 Astran liveried trucks of all time, I have stated that the 3 were in no particular order, but as it’s my rules I can change them when I like. In my opinion this is the greatest Astran liveried truck of all time….NVW 484P, Scania 140 V8 6×4. You can’t get a better looking truck than this…….can you??

NVW 484P - Scania 140 V8

WARNING I WILL BE GETTING ALL ROMANTIC SHORTLY!! This photo comes to me care of the one and only author of “The Long Haul Pioneers“, Sir Ashley Coghill, but the photo it’s self is taken by Destination Doha assistant director Simon Normanton, what a truly great photo. Would a clear modern day digital photo give quite as much atmosphere as this?? I think not.

Where to start with my reasonings behind this being my 3rd choice in my top 3 Astran trucks of all time. As in Part One and Part Two of my choices, I can’t do much more than to ask you to take a good hard look at the photo, it’s all there. I guess really my choice of NVW 484P is pretty well based on it pulling this trailer in Destination Doha (where did this trailer end up?). Its got every thing that it should have (ready??); it’s dirty, roughed up wheels and mud flaps, roof rack and air con box, leaking fuel cap, TIR and GB on the bumper, dust pouring from the wheels, legendary driver and I know I can’t put it on here but I can just hear Dave Poulton talking away in the cab in DD and being able to hear the V8 just purring away as they head ever East. Being an ex owner of a Scania 141, for all you Scania fans who haven’t driven a 140 or a 141, you just have too. The shear joy of pressing the starter button and getting that first growl of the day, is just amazing! I think what ever the previous day had thrown at me in the depths of the desert, pressing that button the morning after a crap day must be so so reassuring. By the way right now I am wishing I had done the ME in this truck, just purrrrfect! Look out for the first time in blog history I’m going to use the same photo twice!

NVW 484P - Scania 140 V8

This photo was taken during the filming of Destination Doha. Ashley Coghill says;

“Dave Poulton at the wheel thundering across Jordan’s infamous H4 desert route to Saudi Arabia. Simon Normanton was assistant director for the BBC film Destination Doha and took many stills during the making of the film. This image has to be THE best and most iconic shot of a Scania 140 in full flight!”

It’s a brave man who will disagree with Ashley. I think of top of it being the best photo of a Scania 140 in full flight I think it also sums up the whole Middle East run. Hard trucks, hard men doing a hard job. We can all get a bit blase these days looking at the great romance of it all, but please please dont forget it wasn’t all glory. As the very proud owner of the late great Dick Snow’s diary (luckily for me he was a relation of mine), as used in Ashley’s book, you get a feel that some of the daily entries were written with great feeling.The endless days sat in a scorching hot desert at a customs post, having run out of food. Driving up a solid ice road, in the pitch dark up a mountain in darkest Turkey. These trucks were made for the job and hopefully to make it that much easier for all those legendary men who did one of the toughest jobs in the world at the time. In all honesty if we were to still use the same roads today, can you honestly say for what ever reason that a modern Scania V8 R730, would be able to cope with the Ice clad mountains and roadless deserts?? Again I think not. The computers wouldn’t keep up and there would be no chance of doing day to day running repairs and as for all the dust getting in every sensor imaginable, need I go on? The old 140’s or 141’s can also push on at 60mph if required and have no didgtach that are going to beep at you left right and centre.

NVW 484P.jpg

This is photo is credited to the man himself Dave Poulton, but not from Destination Doha! Even in this pic you can see “the look”, the 6×4 always looks more trucky than a 4×2. Seen here pulling a tilt through Turkey. Note the lack of bumper spots and the sand shovel in the cab ladder. Case closed, Best Astran Liveried truck ever!! (In my opinion anyway!)

Speaking of which while I was at it, I asked Ashley Coghill for his top 3. You will need to refer to your copy of his book “The Long Haul Pioneers“. His choices are;

3) JLL 686K – Scania 140 Roadtrain
2) 10 RMY – GUY Warrior
1) NVW 484P – Scania 140 6×4

Again an excellent top 3, glad we agree on one truck at least! It would be great if you all wanted to leave your top 3 as comments on this one, come on if you haven’t before then leave a comment now, you have got this far after all!! If not you can email me, ben@truckblog.co.uk

Scania are a Game Bunch!

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Finally Scania have taken a step forward in the world of computer gaming. For all those gamers out there, young or old, you can now buy a game where you can actually drive a Scania badged truck, not just a non-badged looky-likey. This is what the Scania press release says;

Scania has given the Czech computer games publisher SCS Software the right to use its brand in the Trucks & Trailers simulation game.

Trucks & Trailers is currently available in editions for the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia, UK and the Nordic countries. See www.trucks-and-trailers.com. In September, SCS Software’s CEO Pavel Šebor was invited to DemoCentre in Södertälje and for the first time in his life drove an actual real truck, a 60 ton, V8 R730.

The game looks quite good and as always they do look more and more realistic. There are many different editions to choose from. It is possible to buy a version based on your country (in most cases), including a Right Drive UK Edition. So get it on your Christmas list, and you can enjoy the pleasure of driving the roads of the UK and Europe, a lot cheaper than buying your own truck!! You can also see a short video of the game on you tube;

Top 3 Astran Liveried Trucks – M509 WCK

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M509 WCK

Next in my top 3 Astran trucks of all time is this beast of a Scania 143 Streamline, driven by Trevor Dodwell I do believe. As I said in Part 1, the top 3 is in no particular order, it would be to hard to choose between them!! I think for me, Astran trucks are Scania’s. I know Mercedes and Volvo were both regular Middle Easters for Astran, but if you look at the fleet list out of a total of 58 trucks, 40 were Scania. Even though this is an Owner driver truck, to me it’s still one of the top 3 all time great Astran trucks.

M509 WCK

M509 WCK

Bull bar, extra spots, roof rack, headboard, un-polished ally wheels, big tanks, ruffed up rear mudguards, Arabic script and, and, wait for it….its got that look!! in huge doses for that matter. I can just see this old girl hurteling along the dusty desert road, lights a blaze, camels parting like the red sea, as the growl of the big V8  heads ever Eastwards. I think also this is obviously the new version of the old 140’s and 141’s, so if Astran had kept their own fleet in the 90’s there would have been a fleet of these, just imagine! 

I actually emailed Trevor Dodwell about this truck, and he sent me a photo he has above his desk, this is below. I think this truck was for sale in Ireland since Trevor had it, although there was a little confusion over it, but any way if it was this truck I was oh so close to snapping it up and in all honesty I wish I had. The wife has promised to but me a new truck one day, when she does, the 143 Streamline will be it and it will take a lot of convincing not to paint it up as this truck. Here is Trevors photo;

Trevor Dodwell

So there it is, this is my number 2 truck in the all time top 3 Astran trucks. A second Scania, your right, but then again when you think of Astran what truck do you think of? Email me, ben@truckblog.co.uk or leave a comment. There is one more truck to come in this little mini series, what will it be? whats your choice? If you follow the blog on twitter (@truckbloguk) then you may already know my 3rd and final choice. Also while I remember the top 3 photos are courtesy of Mr Nick Garlick.

The Truck That Guy Built (sort of!)

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143-500 strart 001.JPG

Sorry Mick, I couldn’t resist the title! Surely eveyone one knows of Moody International? Smart European fridge operator from Grimsby and now top 2nd hand truck dealer as well. After a recent bit of contact, Mr Mick Moody told me of a very smart Scania 143 500 LHD Streamline he is now restoring. The truck is ex Wittwer Transport from Switzerland.

143-500 strart 004.JPG

143-500 strart 009.JPG

Although the truck was already in pretty good shape, it has been stripped right down to it’s bear bones and touched up and resprayed back into what I remember as original Moody International livery. Hopefully Mick will send me some more photo’s as the project nears completion. So far it’s been expertly rebuilt by the one and only Guy Martin, you know “The Boat That Guy Built” on TV? hence the dodgy blog title. Anyway it certainly looks good so far, looking forward to the finished result. The only I don’t know is if it’s just for show or if it will be back on the road paying for it’s restoration.

IMG-20111003-00083.jpg

Manton European Freezer Freight Part 7

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www.euro-wheels.com

Just a quick one, I thought it was about time we got to part 7. Can you guess who sent me yet another great photo from deep in his trucking archives?? Yes you probably guessed right, Neil Jarrold from www.euro-wheels.com snapped this one on it’s way to or from the continent. Were you the driver of this Manton’s Scania? Did this little 3 series ever make it down the golden egg road to Moscow?? Has anyone got part 8 to the longest running thread on the blog? Email me any thing more you have on Manton’s, ben@truckblog.co.uk and it could be appearing here. A certain Dave Manton has contributed to these threads before, but not recently, so perhaps you’ll beat him to Part 8?!

Stainless Swedish Super – Svetsab Style

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For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine

Sometimes you see a truck and you can’t quite find the right word to describe it. I think that it’s the right time to use the phrase ” A picture tells 1000 words.” I was once again looking through the internet, or you could call it browsing, when I came across a very smart Scania. After a bit of detective work, I got myself onto the website of Swedish company, Svetsab. They are manufacturers of top quality truck accessories and bespoke makers of anything stainless for any make of truck. You can browse through the galleries of trucks that have already been given the treatment, or you could go to the page where there are 2 of the best looking custom trucks i’ve seen for sale!! Whhaaatttttt?????? I hear you cry, yes 2 top custom trucks for sale. The 1st is this Scania R730 4×2 Topline, called; War Machine.

For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine

For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine

For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine

I was so impressed by this War Machine I felt it was my duty, on your behalf of course, to find out a little more and emailed Svetsab to see what it’s all about. A good old boy by the name of Peter, came straight back to me, with a full set of photos and a spec list as long as your arm, of what the truck has had done to it……Even now i’m finding myself just gawping at the pics of the War Machine. I’m not even sure i’m that taken by the Robot Man on the side, but I don’t think I care, just look at it!! Seriously, Iknow which of the below i’d be choosing!!

For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine

May be I will buy another Lottery ticket this week, afterall you’ve got to be in it to win it and all that. I guess I can’t go any further with out sharing  the extensive spec list, but before we start, get a towel to wipe away your dribble. Here we go;

SCANIA R 730 LA4XMLB
– Wheelbase 3700mm
– High gloss polished stainless steel fuel tank 1070 liters.
– High gloss polished stainless battery and tool box, electric-powered telescopes on the rails. open and close by remote control and the control button in the cabin.
– High gloss polished stainless steel exhaust pipe with stainless steel construction, stainless V8 rear on the cabin.
– Clutch plate for electricity and air made of carbon fiber.
– High gloss polished stainless steel rear light.
– Stainless steel bright bars are painted and mounted diodes.
– Interior in side the cabin is black suede and dark gray skin, V8, stainless and diodes.
– Cabin, chassis, catwalk, painted black and the image of Iron Man, matte varnish.
– The exhaust damper of course…and hear the roaring 730 horsepower.
All emission passes through the stainless steel pipes behind the cabin,
no emissions under the truck.
– The chassis is fully equipped.

For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine
For Sale..... Scania R 730 War MachineFor Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine
For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine

There really are too many photo’s to put on here, so to see what you haven’t seen, then click HERE to go to my photo page or click one of the links to go directly to SVETSAB’s website. Wisely I didn’t ask Peter how much War Machine is up for sale for, but I reckon most of you would buy it, with out even viewing it! Even in the dark, it look’s wicked!!

For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine
For Sale..... Scania R 730 War Machine

If by some miracle your still not convinced, click HERE to see a video of the truck roaring about the country lanes of Sweden. If you want to know more or are genuinely interested, NO tyre kickers, please contact Peter at Svetsab and he will help you out. Or you can email me, ben@truckblog.co.uk and I will see if I can help you out. Just don’t dispear as Svetsab also have El Torro Dragaren for sale too. Top truck work Peter.

Top 3 Astran Liveried Trucks – JAN 774K

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Copyright Of Dick & Cathy Snow

I ran this feature on Twitter a month or so ago and had some interesting come back, so I thought i’d try it on here and see what you have to say. Firstly you need to understand this is a Top 3 Astran Liveried Trucks, in my opinion and in no particular order.

My first choice is an early Scania 140 V8, reg no JAN 774K. Now for those of you you who know me, this may seem like a slightly biased choice as these photo’s of JAN 774K were taken by my relation/uncle Dick Snow, when he was the driver of said truck. I have no idea how long this was Dick’s truck, but it was long enough to take a few good pictures, i’m sure a certain Ashley Coghill could tell us more.

My reasons for this being in my top 3 are mainly coz it is a classic Astran looking truck. In all the pic’s it is always covered in dirt, luggage on the roof rack, the odd unavoidable dent of long distance intercontinental trucking……….hang on i’m getting all romantic again! It’s that thing I always talk about, it’s got that look. It just looks great, like a truck should. I’m all for shiny shiny show condition with all the bling, but a truck in its true work state, always looks cracking to me. Another reson this is a great Astran truck, is that it’s a wagon and drag. Astran were keen on wagin and drags as they did have a few of them (again, Mr Coghill could tell us how many!).

Copyright Of Dick & Cathy Snow

This is another of Snowie’s pics, showing the truck in all it’s glory. It could even be the same trip as the first pic but who knows. I also love Snowies’s outfit, Checked shirt and cordroy trousers and big sun glasses. Another great pic of JAN 774K is the one below. In Ashley’s book, The Long Haul Pioneers, the pic below is said to be part of the Astran collection, but as I have the original in my bedside draw, i’m guessing it’s Dick’s. I could have picked any of the early wagon and drags for the top 3, but I think as I have a slight connection with JAN 774K, it’s the ideal truck. Below you can see the truck in a fairly new condition. I’m guessing Dick must have been driving otherwise he wouldn’t have taken the pic, also as it’s infront of 2 others, it must be Dick as he was always ahead from what I hear!

Copyright Of Dick & Cathy Snow

Who was the tall chap walking beside the trucks? any ideas. In fact looking at the pic again I reckon it could be the trucks 1st trip. Just look how tidy it is. No additional grill mounted spots, fresh-ish paint on the wheels and bumper, the headlight surrounds are still chrome!! I think as it’s an early member of the Astran Fleet. If this pic was on her maiden voyage, it would have been in 1971. All in all I think a good candidate for a top 3 position. If you want to share you own top 3 Astran liveried trucks of all time, then please either leave a comment or send me an email at; ben@truckblog.co.uk keep an eye out for the other 2 trucks in the top 3, they’ll be coming soon, or if you follow the blog on twitter (search for @truckbloguk) you will already know the top 3!!

Manton European Freezer Freight Part 6

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MANTON Subbie !

This is turning into the Manton / Euro-Wheels website! Neil Jarrold knows we have quite a long standing Manton’s run on the blog, so know when he has unearthed another pile of photo’s and he come’s across another Manton’s truck, he feels obliged to send it to the blog. I think it’s fair to say this is a rare sight. As yet I don’t think anyone has said anything about Manton’s subbies, so please please dust off your memory bank’s and fill the rest of us in on the details. This very clean Scania 112, is a 6×2 tag axle, belonging to Reiblein International of Wetherby. Now i’m not the oracle of Yorkshire hauliers, but I don’t think I have heard of Reiblein before. Just for info C reg vehicle’s were from 1985. Some of you will know what’s what, so get email me at; ben@truckblog.co.uk or leave your comments below. I look forward to penning Part 7 shortly!!