Lil Big Rig "Pete"

There must be that child in us all who would love to drive a big rig, and not some modern cab over but the iconic rigs from our youth. We’re talking Snowman’s Kenworth from Smokey and the Bandit here. But only a few of us actually have a job that justifies a truck driving licence (in the UK this is one expensive addition to get).

MAN BAI Janus 4000 “Bifronte”

Tragedy usually leads to innovation to solve problems that previously were unknown. The tragic events of a tunnel fire at Mont Blanc in 1999 resulted in the creation of this fire appliance whose sole reason was to solve a problem. The problem? How to turn a fire engine round quickly in a tunnel which in an incident would likely be full of vehicles. This though is such an elegant, and as with most innovations, simple solution. Why turn it round at all!!! But this vehicle is much, much more, also providing a safe haven to firefighters to take refuge and fight a fire from. Currently there are 3 located in fire houses within the tunnel.

To read much more about the event leading up to this and fully about the vehicle itself head over to CODE3 website, it’s well worth aread.

Scammell Scarab

Obviously the most unusual feature of this tractor unit is a lack of a wheel, which as it turned out help in sales where it excelled in manoeuvrability.

Zingers

Back in the early 70’s you could buy these supped up monster engined model cars. What self-respecting young developing petrolhead could resist them with those huge wheels and crazy styling? Well to go along with the promotion of these models the manufacturer built some scaled up versions, well the engine was full size that the cars shrank around it. Who knows if they actually ran or where you could sit, or how that would handle they just look damn cool to me. Just imagine seeing them all lined up at car and drag racing shows, just awesome.

General Motors Bison

General Motors really were on the money with the future world that this concept truck would drive in. They saw a world of standardised containers that would be automatically loaded, unloaded and stored by electronically controlled equipment to increase efficiency, way back in 1964.

Random Picture: Colonia Speditor Granada

Take a Colonia Speditor which is a 6x2 tractor unit fitted with a horizontally mounted “underfloor” engine and replace the cab with a Ford Granada estate body and this is what you get. Kind of reminds me of a homemade Steinwinter Truck.

Coca Cola Christmas Trucks

Well it is Christmas and I thought we have to do something with a Christmas twist, so how about this. Can you believe there was a time when this truck wasn’t part of the festive period!!!!! That being prior to 1995, it’s hard to believe since it’s now the signal that “the holidays are coming”. The original truck was built using 30,000 lights for the “Christmas Caravan” adverts in 1995 with artwork depicting Santa by Haddon Sunblom who helped define the image, the special effect were undertaken by Industrial Light and Magic, the ones behind Hollywood’s such as Star Wars and The Abyss, to multiply the number of trucks to an endless line. Following the success four more adverts were made up to 1999 and eventually broadcast in over 100 countries around the world with a slight change in livery.

Labatt’s Streamliners

After my father-in-law complained that there wasn’t enough trucks on the website I thought it was about time to rectify that. This is what I found, the Labatt’s streamliner truck, I think you’ll agree it fits The Petrol Stop perfectly.

In the mid 1930’s Labatt’s decided to start transporting its beer by road rather than rail, seeing this as a possible way also to grab the attention of the public it, also at this time advertising alcohol was still banned so they would act as an advertising tool as well. They commissioned Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, of coachbuilders Van den Plas in 1935 to build a fleet of streamliner trucks. The tractor units were White overcabs that were heavily reworked however the trailers were practically scratch built. Due to the shape it’s made out of a wooden body tub, with rolled aluminium covering it. They were the first truly aerodynamic trucks and won “Best Design” award at the 1939 New York World’s Fair!!!!! They even had modern technology built into them with an innovative anti-jack-knifing device in the fifth wheel and were the first to use air brakes.

The Highwayman Truck

I looked at this a few years ago that went on to be the “buddy” truck in The Highwayman in the late 1980’s. But this though is the main truck, for those who can remember the series know apart from looking awesome it had a major trick up its sleeve, with a change of the steering wheel it would transform into a helicopter!!!!! How awesome was that. (2 mins in video below)

Dekotora (decorated) Trucks

It’s interesting how films can influence car culture even developing a whole new style, who can forget the Fast and the Furious effect back in 2001 on the modified car front. But this wasn’t the first film to start a modifying craze. Back in 1975 there was a Japanese film made about truck drivers called Torakku Yarō (Trucker Guys). I know Japanese truck driving, but the star of the film wasn’t the action or the girls or even the main stars but his chrome laden trucks, with extended bumpers and covered in lights. Since then this style of modifying has grown, as usual, out of one-upmanship resulting in these trucks today.

The Midnight Rider

Conceived in the mid 80’s before finally being given the go ahead in 1997 and taking 7 years to build this is the worlds heaviest Limousine, weighting in at 25tonnes. The idea behind the Midnight Rider was to be able to take a large number of passengers back to a time of the railroad. Which is why the interior harks back to those old railway carriages. Capable of holding 40 people and staffed by 5, it come complete with full bar, and 3 lounges one with panoramic views.

General Motors Futurliner

Back in 1940 GM toured the USA bringing the Parade of Progress to the public. This was in part a marketing tool for GM but also brought the advances of the day to masses for both its car design but also ata point in time when times were simpler and technology was on the brink with huge advance coming thick and fast and GM were the ones showcasing it such as microwave ovens and mixed in its new cars. In order to transport and show case this event GM built the Futurliners, 12 purpose built trucks to both show the advances in vehicle design and technology but they would also double as both a mobile advertisement and the stages. Due to the USA coming into WW2 only two tours were undertaken. However in 1953 GM dusted them off and once again drove them around the country until 1956. The most unusual aspect of the design was the centrally seated drivers position up high in the glass bubble. To cope with this the cab had additional air conditioning fitted to keep them cool. A recently fully restored one sold for $4,320,000 at the Barrett-Jackson Automobile Auction. This kind of touring show just doesn’t happen these days and at the time they were a huge deal with entire towns turning out to see them.












For more information-

http://www.futurliner.com/

http://www.fullboost.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8379

Steinwinter Truck Concept

This has to be one of the most unusual trucks ever produced. The concept was simple by reducing the height tractor unit there could be a saving in fuel and an increase in transported volume. The tractor unit stand just 1170mm tall and allow an additional 150m3 of volume. This concept lead to what you see here was debuted at the 1983 International Automobile Exhibition. This concept was to use modularity units that could be tailored ie the tractor unit could be fitted with a variety of engines and trailer units to allow a variety of uses from standard transportation of containers to use as a coach/bus. The cab its self was designed to be like a car then not connected up





The cab was more like a sports car with bucket seats and a full digital dashboard. Due to the flat and level floor there was room for a bunk between the seats and a wardrobe.



A number of major manufacturers, namely DAF and Isuzu showed initial interest in the concept but failed to take it any further. This may have been due to the unusual driving position, reported understeering or just that once the tractor unit when connected up to its trailer it wasn’t much more fuel efficient than a conventional truck.




Oh and if you think the truck look familiar, it was the base for one of the trucks in the short-lived TV show The Highwayman back in the late 1980’s



Information on the truck is limited the 2 following link have been translated-


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