The Truck Driver Mystery. (UPDATE III: 1905 Berna with watercooled L-head )
A nice set of photos came in only yesterday showing the chauffeur(?) and his well used old truck with massive wheels. When you click the main photo you can also distinguish vaguely the ID plate on the left side of the car. The first photo was most probably made in Germany in the thirties. Still we suspect the truck to be of French origin. Panhard-Levassor, Renault, De Dion-Bouton ? Take a look at the engine close-up for a positive ID. (virtual archive Paul Schilperoord) Contact Us
UPDATE III by Wouter Schouten:"Type E 20/25 hp engine is a 2 cylinder with a watercooled L-head. Engine and gearbox are mounted on a separate frame. Power is transmitted via a leather cone clutch, a 4-speed gearbox and a drive shaft to the differential. >From the differential two shafts drive a small gear wheel driving a large wheel with internal teeth. (This is the “Ritzel” drive that Berna had until about 1940) The empty truck has a weight of 3000 kg, payload is about 4000 kg.
At the rear axle the load carrying and the drive are separated. You can see the long suspension arms from the rear axle to the frame.
A foot brake is working on de differential and the handbrake tightens the external band brakes on the rear axle.
Maximum speed is 15 km/h, consumption of gasoline 330 grams/km."
UPDATE II by Wouter Schouten:"The truck in the wonderful “mystery” photo is a Berna Type E1 or E2 from 1905. Berna trucks were made in Olten Switzerland, and in 1905 just a few Type E trucks came out of the factory.
It was very difficult in those years to sell an expensive “Lastwagen”, the horse and train still ruled in the transport of goods and people.
Production in 1905 was around 10 vehicles, 7 trucks and 3 omnibuses. The truck in the picture could very well be the one they made for S.Hüssy-Zürcher, Brewery in Oftringen (a town very near to Olten)
The picture of the Berna and its driver was taken in later years probably because the truck was a rarity, the Swiss use their trucks for a long time, and the Berna was a good product!"
UPDATE by Hans Compter: Firstly the truck looks like a bonneted 2 cylinder 3 or so tonner with possibly between 3 and 4 Litre capacity. The radiator hangs on the front crossmember between the dumb irons. The above eliminates all Renaults because they had the radiator either on the side(s) of the engine on earlier models or behind the engine. The truck also eliminates all coal scuttle bonneted makes and models because this bonnet runs straight to the front. Panhard & Levassor to my knowledge never made any 2 cylinder trucks. At one point I thought perhaps this is a Krebs but they had 2 stroke twins and coal scuttle bonnets (hoods).
Possible remaining candidates are pre 1910 De Dion Bouton (after 1910 their radiators were circular) and pre 1910 Delahaye both of which made big 2 cylinder trucks. Also Aries made a 2 cylinder bonneted 3 tonner from 1910 onwards, approx. 3000 of which were suplied to the French army for WWI, most of these though had 3.8 Litre Aster engines and I cannot find if they were 2 or 4 cylinders. Two non-French 2 cylinder truck candidates are the ca. 1905 Stoewer 3 tonner and the early Benz respectively Gaggenau some of which were French designed (Barbarou). The man in the white coat is even more of a mystery, to the point of being suspect. Isn't that a ballpoint in his L/H breast pocket? The coat is much too white to be of a driver and where are his goggles and gloves? I think he walked straight out of the local grocer shop, butchery or pharmacy to pose for the photo and judging by his waistline he is of postwar (WW2) manufacture. At best he worked in a laboratory. (editor: for 99% sure the photos was made in Germany; also that it was made in the thirties, so we tend to support Hans Compter's theory the truck is one the German makes)
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