French old trucks

A WILLEME LD 610 from 1955 which was hauling wine.

The truck belongs to my son.
www.ifrance.com/oldfrenchtrucks/

Stradair,
An interesting looking truck. I'm ignorant f most European models. How about some more details, like who makes the Willeme brand, what sort of engine etc. And of course lots more pictures. : : : : I notice the steering wheel seems to sit up high. It must have an upright driving position.

Willeme built trucks from 1919 to the 70th, at beginning they were reconditioning american Liberty trucks, later they made their own product with Diesel engines licensed Deutz but water cooled.They also built special heavy duty trucks for special transport and Saharan use.
At the end of the 60 the MOL company from Belgium bought the company which was in trouble and only built tractors for indivisible loads.
Notice that during 5 years an agreement was establihed to import BMC light range in France and to offer AEC engines in their own range.

Gday all

I have found a bit of info on these rare trucks :-

Establishment Willeme of Neuilly, Seine, was set up in 1919 to repackaging former United States Army Class B Liberty Trucks in the aftermath of World War I. There were large numbers of the 5-ton workhorses left over from the hostilities, and they were refurbished and sold to civilian customers as Liberty-Willem. Various improvements were later introduced, including pneumatic tires and the fitment of more powerful engines. By 1930 there were Liberty-Willems 4x2 dump trucks for 7 1/2-tonne payloads and 6x2 conversions for payloads up to 12 tons. Later, some models were fitted with CLM-built Junkers Opposed-piston diesel.

From about 1930 Willeme Began manufacturing its own designs under the Willeme name badge, the first being a 1-tonner. By 1935 Appeared for trucks heavier payloads of 8 to 15 tonnes in both normal and forward control. After World War II Willeme built some massive heavy-haulage tractors, including 8x4s for up to 150 tonnes GTW.
Willeme in 1962 formed a joint agreement with ACS, AEC supplied under Which it with diesel engines. Some models also featured a high degree of AEC technology in chassis and running their units. After ACS was absorbed into Leyland in 1962, Leyland curtailed AEC's technical cooperation with other manufacturers and, instead Willeme Began producing BMC trucks under license. These were badged Willeme-BMC. In 1965 financial problems led to the closure of a manufacturing order Willeme license was granted to Pinez and Raymond, who developed a massive range of heavy-haulage tractors for gross train weights as high as 1000 tons. These were renamed PRP from 1978.

Heres the driver shot..


More info here...
camionclubdefrance.a.free.fr/Willeme_LC610.php

and here... for more pics
www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-bl...not-a-music-hal.html

An interesting truck , I think.

Cheers
RS

For french army ,in the fifties a 6x6 RD Willeme.

The PRP brand is now Nicolas Tractomas:


The last "real" Willemes had Detroit Diesel engines - Perez & Raimond (the "PR" in the PRP) were also French Detroit diesel agents, so when they took over the remains of the old firm, they offered DDs in them...


Pic from the French "HCVC" forum - see more here:

forum.aceboard.net/12980-3404-22435-0-Do...citaires-WILLEME.htm
and here:
forum.aceboard.net/12980-3404-27141-0-PHOTOS.htm

Cheers,

T

An other famous truck builder was BERNARD whose had a Gardner motor license fot its engines.

... and this (Roland, this is not what it seems):



(pic from forum.aceboard.net/index.php?login=12980 - where else?)

Cheers,

T

Hi T.

This is reminding me of your Mack Magirus question.
I believe Bernard used a Mack engine at some time.
The truck you show is a Bernard Greyhound T20035D with not a Deutz, but an Alstom Air-cooled V6 or V8 diesel, 200HP I think.
Alstom Engines got bought by MAN I believe.
I did some business with Alstom some years ago in Eastleigh UK and remember being told they made Air -Cooled engines, but have no further details of them.
I also seem to remember that they have a Marine history, which is a bit different to their more recent Railway work.

Have you any more info please ?

(I have just had a look at the French site and see it is a V8.)

Cheers
RS

The model with the Air Cooled ALSTHOM engine was a 200 HP but it was not successfull because of cooling air problems.
The MACK engines were placed later in 1964 with the TD 211 typ which had a 204 HP Mack.But this was the end of the Bernard story, two years later.