A unique centenary
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The limited edition Centurion range was Scania Great Britain’s own unique celebration of the Swedish manufacturer’s centenary. CM looks back at a historic heavy with a hundredweight of appeal
Words: John Henderson / Images: Scania, Bill Taylor, A1 Archive,Tom Cunningham
Limited edition trucks are a rare breed on UK shores, but back in 1991 some blue-sky thinking by a handful of select individuals at the Milton Keynes headquarters of Scania (Great Britain) saw a special group of 100 trucks up for sale bearing the name Centurion. This clever marketing idea not only appealed to buyers looking for a subtly special Scania, but also introduced the Swedish manufacturer’s revamped range produced to mark its centenary.
These 100 trucks were available in a wide variety of cab, engine and transmission configurations, but every member of this exclusive club carried Centurion lettering and a Roman soldier’s helmet logo on its sun visor, which were complemented by special edition, numbered badges on each side of the cab.
Customers who did not wish to apply their own fleet livery could opt for a base-coloured cab with specifically designed graphic stripes finished in red and gold. Staying with the exterior, every Centurion came with an ABS braking system, and headlamp wash/wipe, while air horns, spot lights and chrome wheel trims added a quality bling factor.
Cab interior
Inside the cab there were Centurion seat covers, seat belts, a radio/CD player and an external temperature gauge. Central locking and a fire extinguisher offered enhanced levels of safety and security. Demand for the Centurion limited edition was brisk, and buyers readily accepted the additional £1,866 cost over a standard Topline and £3,366 increase over a traditional R cab, to own a keynote piece of Scania’s history.
Even today many British haulage contractors still consider the 3-Series to be the best Scania ever made and unsurprisingly the Centurion attracted a wide range of buyers from owner-drivers right through to big name, international haulage specialists. While the majority of sales were single purchases, some notable multivehicle orders came from the likes of Bulk tank specialists Carr Bros of Chelveston, Gordon Leslie of Glasgow and well-known Holsten beer carriers Robson Road Haulage of Deptford.
Half century
The first Centurion to hit the road was a pre-Streamline R113M-360 6x2 tractor unit bought by Taylor’s of Martley and registered as H637 OJW. This Centurion was immediately badged as No 50 of the series, as its arrival coincided with Taylor’s 50th anniversary. The Centurion that actually carried the coveted No 1 was logically registered as H100 SCA, while the number 100 was saved for the Master Centurion (see separate section).
Lincolnshire-based road transport enthusiast Bill Taylor is one of the Centurion range’s biggest fans, and over the last 20 years his considerable research has produced a substantial database on the ownership history of this special group, a handful of which still work for a living.
The board of directors at Scania’s Swedish HQ must have been impressed by the success of their GB colleagues’ Centurion range, as in later years the factory would go on to produce further customised limited editions in the shape of the Dark Diamond and Black Amber series. n
GOING WITH THE FLOW
While the limited edition Centurion was only available in the UK, on a global scale Scania offered a host of centenary improvements, which included extended service intervals, new engines and gearboxes, with last, but not least, the Streamline cab. This latter fuel-saving product was years ahead of its time and incorporated the results of over 40,000 hours of wind tunnel research, carried out during the previous four years. The familiar Scania rooftop spoiler was supplemented by specifically designed components in the shape of a revised front panel, bumper/air dam and lower door panels. Race truck style side panels added to the overall visual effect delivered by the extensive use of radius curves. The Streamline cab delivered a drag co-efficient of 0.5, which was around 12% to 15% better than a standard unit. Back then, the potential fuel savings offered by the Streamline amounted to 3,600 litres of diesel per 120,000km, thereby paying for its extra £2,700 price tag on a standard Topline model, by that mileage total.
MASTER OF THE ROLLS
The jewel in the crown of Scania UK’s special centenary range was the Master Centurion. This Streamline 4x2 tractor unit bore the final limited edition plate No 100, and its ultra-high specification earned it the title of Truck of the Century. The Master Centurion carried a list price of £100,000 and made special appearances at county and agricultural shows, in addition to being the centre of attention at regional Scania distributors’ open days.
Sold through a special promotion auction in the CV trade press, proceeds from the sale of the Master Centurion also benefited the BBC’s Children in Need appeal to the tune of a substantial £10,500. High-profile support for Scania’s generous gesture came from the late Jill Dando, who also announced the final donation sum live on television during the corporation’s annual telethon in 1991.
Derek Sumpter became the lucky owner of the Master Centurion and the prime mover carried his Ship-Link Terminals livery. His initial intention was to use the truck for delivering rolls of newsprint to The Financial Times, but remarkably, the tractor never pulled a trailer in anger.
Declaring that “the vehicle really needed to be cosseted by an owner-driver”, Sumpter put the unique truck up for sale and in late 1992 it was snapped up by Ronnie Fielding Conference Trucking for a reported £78,000.
The Master Centurion was based on the first Scania R143MA 500EDC chassis in the UK and similar models did not arrive in the country until late 1991.
The Streamline specification truck had the full Centurion package added, plus some unique extras to justify its status. Special 24-carat gold, electro-plated Centurion badges were joined by Anderson & Ryan leather seats, a Phillips radio/stereo and state-of-the-art CD player. Further communication and entertainment enhancements took the shape of a CBA Telecom mobile telephone and fax machine, together with a Phillips television and video. Famed luxury brand suppliers Liberty provided the interior trim and bedding.
The Master Centurion’s driver was further pampered with an exclusive personal luxury pack, which comprised of a leather holdall, wash bag and shaving kit.
Rounding off the exterior were pearlescent gold cab and metallic red chassis paint finishes, specially developed by BP Rolls of