Re: V. D. Vlist
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:16 pm
Spot on Jeremy!
Now, I'm not a automotive historian, but I will try to shed some light on this...
FTF stands for Floor, truck, Trailer, Fabriek, they've started building trailers and drawbar units in 1948, which was a instant success because of the strength and the quality of their products.
In 1955 they became the main dealer for Mack in Holland, that later on expanded to the whole of the Benelux. In 1963 Floor relocated to the south east of Holland where a new workshop was opened for the assembly of the Mack lorries. However that dealership ended in 1964 because Mack bought the French Bernard works and did their own assembly there...
That meant that there weren't going to be lorries built at Floor anymore... but everybody just thought, right sodd this, we're going to build our own lorry...
And true to their word, in 1966 they've presented the first ever built FTF at the Amsterdam motorshow.
The first 8 built FTF's had a "homemade" designed cab, that later on was replaced with a Motor Panels Cab.
Engines all came from Detroit in the V-shaped form and one had the choice of 6, 8, 12 and even 16 cylinders ( but I don't know if the latter one was installed).
Those Detroit engines were coupled to a Allison auto 'box which proved faultless.
The lorries were particularly popular among the heavy haulage companies, just as the trailers, the lorries too were built to last it seems... handling was a bit robust and not always quite comfy, but it was a simple designed piece of kit, and was used all over the world for companies such as Mammoet...
Sadly things came to an end in 1995 when the last lorrie was build, they just ceased production because they couldn't compete with other marques any longer... It's a bit similar to the Scammell story, like...
The trailer production is however still much alive, they were independent for a long time, but got taken over by Nooteboom a few years ago. But I believe they're back on their own feet these day's.
Now, I'm not a automotive historian, but I will try to shed some light on this...
FTF stands for Floor, truck, Trailer, Fabriek, they've started building trailers and drawbar units in 1948, which was a instant success because of the strength and the quality of their products.
In 1955 they became the main dealer for Mack in Holland, that later on expanded to the whole of the Benelux. In 1963 Floor relocated to the south east of Holland where a new workshop was opened for the assembly of the Mack lorries. However that dealership ended in 1964 because Mack bought the French Bernard works and did their own assembly there...
That meant that there weren't going to be lorries built at Floor anymore... but everybody just thought, right sodd this, we're going to build our own lorry...
And true to their word, in 1966 they've presented the first ever built FTF at the Amsterdam motorshow.
The first 8 built FTF's had a "homemade" designed cab, that later on was replaced with a Motor Panels Cab.
Engines all came from Detroit in the V-shaped form and one had the choice of 6, 8, 12 and even 16 cylinders ( but I don't know if the latter one was installed).
Those Detroit engines were coupled to a Allison auto 'box which proved faultless.
The lorries were particularly popular among the heavy haulage companies, just as the trailers, the lorries too were built to last it seems... handling was a bit robust and not always quite comfy, but it was a simple designed piece of kit, and was used all over the world for companies such as Mammoet...
Sadly things came to an end in 1995 when the last lorrie was build, they just ceased production because they couldn't compete with other marques any longer... It's a bit similar to the Scammell story, like...
The trailer production is however still much alive, they were independent for a long time, but got taken over by Nooteboom a few years ago. But I believe they're back on their own feet these day's.
The Nooteboom was quite old as well, nearly 30 years old and still very much out and about 
Maybe some crane drivers on here recognise it..?