Page created on 21/10/2024; updated on 30/11/2024.
Brand - Reference
Brekina 78155
Type
SAVIEM SM 300 tractor and Calberson semi-trailer
Comments
Apart from the rear windows, all the others are fairly flush. The windscreen wipers are moulded and highlighted in silver. The rearview mirrors supplied for fitting have much thinner supports than usual. They are not silvered. The headlamps are inserted, and the rear lights are painted. The trailer is the classic Brekina model.
The cab is fixed to the chassis by two unglued pins. There are four possible
positions with a pitch of around 2.5 mm, to allow for different wheelbases. The transmission is also
an add-on fixed to the chassis by two pins at the front. I didn’t try to dismantle the cab. Photo of the partially dismantled model.
The chassis and wheelbase lengths are either too short or too long (see table). These can be corrected by moving the cab to the next chassis position. The above-mentioned values are then 71.2 mm and 42.5 mm respectively, which are correct, or almost, for the NT chassis.
The model with mirrors cannot be stored in its case.
Modifications
Tracks corrected by changing wheels for Herpa with wider Michelin tyres:
4 mm front, and 3.6 mm rear.
Side view of the tractor with its new wheels.
History
The SAVIEM SM 300 tractor appeared in 1970 and remained in the catalogue until 1974. 14.96-litre V8 M·A·N diesel engine, rated at 220 kW (300 hp) at 2,200 rpm. Total towed weight (TWT) 38 t. Axle configuration 4x2 or 6x4.
The Type 860 cab is designed by SAVIEM in collaboration with M·A·N. The only visible differences are the presence of a little vent on each side of the grille on the M-A-N F7, and the position of the indicators, horizontal on the M-A-N and vertical on the SAVIEM.
A major flaw in this series was the presence of the gear lever on the steering wheel, a highly unusual feature that was not much appreciated, to say the least, by drivers.
Documents :
- Article on Wikipedia (in French).
- Article on Caradisiac (in French).
- Article on charge-utile.fr (in French).
- Photos on baumaschinenbilder.de.
| Dimension (4x2 tractor) |
Actual | 1:87 | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall length | 5 700 1 6 200 2 |
65.5 71.3 |
68.6 4 |
| Short cab length | 1 940 | 22.3 | — |
| Deep cab length | 2 220 | 25.5 | 25.0 |
| Cab width | 2 500 | 28.7 | 28.7 |
| Cab height | 2 850 | 32.8 | 33.4 |
| Wheelbase | 3 300 1 3 800 2 |
37.9 43.7 |
40.0 5 |
| Front track | 2 047 | 23.5 | 21.4 6 |
| Rear track | 1 831 | 21.0 | 19.7 7 |
| Wheel diameter | 1 100 3 | 12.6 | 12.3 |
| Tyre width | 332 | 3.8 | 3.0 8 |
|
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A preliminary remark: all the SAVIEMs in my possession produced by Brekina are in fact German lorries (M·A·N or Magirus) in disguise. This one is no exception.
Right at first glance, this lorry cannot be the SM 300, because it proudly displayed on the grille a V8 symbol that cannot be found on this model. Titano66’s photo on baumaschinenbilder.de.
Obviously, Brekina has not respected the exterior differences between the M·A·N and SAVIEM cabs, namely the absence of small vents on either side of the grille on the SAVIEM, and the shape of the indicator lights.
Respect for scale is approximate; only the cab width is really correct. In terms of length, the chassis is a poor fit between the N and NT versions.