Restored Scania 141

Sties is back on the road in the Netherlands.

From my childhood on was I, Gerrit de Heus, already obsessed with the tough trucks from Scandinavia and especially with the Sties trucks. What started with shooting some pictures at the highway and making a model, has now become a Sties-collection at my house and 3 websites.

“Even the walls are in Sties colors.”

Since Sties changed into Nor-cargo, the striking color combinations gradually changed and are now completely gone due to the name change into BRING Frigoscandia.

Because of this, it was a big pleasure when  transporter Anton Timmerman reported to Gerrit that he was going to  turn his second Scania 141 into a Sties truck.

“You can see the blue and white of Sties at my home. That way, the stairs are painted in RAL 5015 and I am always wearing something of Sties.”

The word is to Gerrit de Heus, without doubt he most fanatical Sties-collector of the Netherlands and maybe even of Europe. When he was a kid, back in the seventies,  he already was a big fan of trucks. He went with his moped to the highway to make pictures of them.

“Especially a lot photo’s of Danish and Norwegian trucks, but later specifically the blue with white Sties trucks. Those attracted my attention, because they were always clean and taken care of down to the last detail. And certainly also because of the unusual blue with white on the doors. It radiates a kind of speeds, especially in combination of the long “S” of Sties.”

Despite his truck license, Gerrit didn’t become a truck driver, but he went to a contractor in Werkendam. But his interest for the transport company Sties stays.

Because there weren’t any scale models of Sties trucks, Gerrit decided to make one himself. He gave a picture of the model to a Sties-driver who brought it to the headquarters of Sties in Oslo.

Gerrit de Heus: “Then I got a letter which said if I wanted to sell the model to Sties. And if so, whether I could bring it to them. They proposed to bring me in one of their trucks to Oslo. I decided to do it.”

Through a driver of Peter Straver, Gerrit ended up at Boers in Waddinxveen. From there a Sties truck left with cargo back to Oslo.

“So with the model under my arm I get in the truck and went to Oslo”

When Stie asked how much the model would cost, Gerrit answered that he didn’t want any money.

“As a lover of Sties I preferred advertising stuff of the company. Then they took a box and filled it to the top, so my collection had grown enormously at once. It became harder when the company asked me shortly afterwards to make some more models: around one hundred…“

“Because of the time it took me to make one model, I never could have made a hundred of them in such a short time, but luckily I have a nephew who works for Tekno. This company made various models in Sties design.”

As for the “real” Sties trucks, everything has disappeared of the streets since the takeover. Except in Norway where Sties driver Morten Gran still has deposal over a Torpedo. Gerrit has also regular contact with this driver.

Recently, however there is a second copy ready to drive with. Anton Timmerman, owner of Anton Timmermans Transport from Amersfoort, has made a Scania 141 in Sties design.

Anton Timmerman: “As a Scania lover, the company now has 36 Scania’s including 35 with a V8, I already have a 141 in my own company’s colours: Black with green. Three years ago I came across a second 141. The truck was restored completely, but afterwards it caught fire. The interior and the wiring harness were burned away. Replacing the wiring harness for this model was easy, but fully recovering the interior was more difficult. Leo Bol fully repaired the cabin.”

Then we had the question in which color we would paint the truck.

Anton: “A second 141 in the same colours doesn’t make sense and there were already many copies of trucks like ASG and British Arabie-riders. Because there was only in Norway a truck in Sties colours, I decided to give the 141 a Sties-design.”

We thought it would be nice to ask Stie for permission, something that Gerrit took care of because of his good contacts there.

After we’ve got green light from Stie, we began painting the truck in the right colors by means of photographs from the collection of Gerrit. Gerrit also took care of the red letters for the illuminated sign..

Both gentlemen are very happy with the result. What is noticed is the modern appearance the truck makes, because of the striking blue with white.

Anton: “It still looks very renewed and it fits every cabin.”

Gerrit: “The person who thought of this for Sties, was his time far ahead.”

Everything has been done to let the Scania looks like the original Sties-141. There is the NLF-badge on the grill and the round yellow sticker on the windshield. On the back there are Sties-mud flaps assembled.

Although Anton Timmerman certainly not wants to  go to truck shows at this time, the Sties-Scania wouldn’t remain in the shed.

“We also drive with an 81, 88 and 143 in the night distribution. With the Sties-Scania I will go loading. The wheelbase is 40 cm shorter than my first 141. The trailers are now with 2.70m much bigger and previous ones also had a big dish on top.”

Meanwhile Gerrit has made the Dutch version of the English Sties website.

“It had to be made in the free hours with a limited budget. This is also why I can’t let make a stock of, for example, Sties-sweaters. I know for sure people would like to have them. And I’m thinking of making a book about Sties. In my collection I got photographs of almost all trucks.”

Anton Timmerman Transport

Anton Timmerman has been going through a remarkable development with his transport company. Just like Gerrit de Heus was he as a kid also obsessed with trucks.

“I was always looking at Volvo F89 and Scania 141 coolcombi at the highway at Amersfoort.”

In 1992 started Anton as a charter abroad. After this, inland distribution came.

“When I had four trucks running on the inland, I went back driving abroad. On Saturdays or Sundays I left with a cooler combination to be back on Wednesdays. Then I could do some maintenance and administration at the office. In the weekend I left again for a ride abroad.”

Meanwhile, the fleet has grown to forty trucks. There is also a tow truck which Anton uses to do recovering for other transport companies. One half drives inland. The other half drives throughout Europe.

Anton: “Unloading spots in, for example, Ireland and from the Arctic Circle to Portugal. Sometimes these drivers won’t come home for three weeks.”

A strong preference is for eight cylinder Scania’s.

“We’ve got four Volvo’s, two DAF’s and the rest of them are Scania’s. There is one six cylinder Scania, the others are V8. I myself always wanted a eight cylinders. Throughout the years it’s proven that you have very little maintenance and a good residual value. With a normal driver you don’t have to take a six cylinder in terms of fuel. The extra power you get from an eight cylinder offers extra comfort while driving.”

With the new 141 added to the fleet, the fleet eight cylinders is extended in a special way.