Did you know that Belarusian heavy truck maker BelAZ used to sell its trucks in the UK? I certainly didn’t.
This advertisement, which appeared in Commercial Motor in November 1972, reveals that it was distributed in the UK by Letchworth-based Umo Plant. The tipper, which came with a 265hp engine, ten-speed transmission and a “roomy comfortable cab offering good vision”, had an asking price of £8,250.
Does anyone remember seeing any in the UK?
Here's one I found in Cuba.
Thanks to Craig, who tells us the following:
These were quite popular with civil engineering contractors in the 70's.Some companies had large fleets.Few survivors as like much construction plant they were treated brutally on site then thrown away.
UMO had to narrow the dump bodies by taking a cut along the centre and rewelding them together to meet UK road regulations.
"Umo plant also made a brief attempt to sell Kamaz on-road trucks into the UK in the late 1970's. They exhibited some examples at the 1978 NEC Show," writes Richard Stanier.
Comments (4)
These were quite popular with civil engineering contractors in the 70's.Some companies had large fleets.Few survivors as like much construction plant they were treated brutally on site then thrown away.
UMO had to narrow the dump bodies by taking a cut along the centre and rewelding them together to meet UK road regulations.
Posted by Craig | October 11, 2007 1:59 PM
Posted on October 11, 2007 13:59
Umo plant also made a brief attempt to sell Kamaz on-road trucks into the UK in the late 1970's. They exhibited some examples at the 1978 NEC Show.
Posted by Richard Stanier | October 11, 2007 3:04 PM
Posted on October 11, 2007 15:04
The Somerset haulier Arthur Duckett had some of these (about 3) which were used to deliver the large rocks used to rebuild the seafront at Burnham on Sea. The story was that he purchased them as used (full width ?) trucks from Eastern Europe and sold on to Chernobyl when the Burnham contract ended.
Posted by D Powell | March 7, 2008 1:28 PM
Posted on March 7, 2008 13:28
My dad purchased one of these in the early 70's for his haulage and plant hire business. (Coombes Haulage and Plant hire). It was used when the second Dartford tunnel was being constructed. As a child I remember seeing it only once being driven along a large dirt track near the tunnel. It was to big for normal road use and was told that it needed a police escort if it had to be taken onto a road. Sadly though he passed away in 1977 with no one knowing where it was stored. It's still a talking point among the family as we never got to know where he left it.
Posted by David Coombes | December 1, 2008 3:42 PM
Posted on December 1, 2008 15:42