• Henschel tanker road train with a storied Aral history
• WIKING model with a SIKU predecessor 65 years ago
Aral broke new ground with this semi-trailer prototype 65 years ago – and WIKING now miniaturises this majestic forward-control classic of tanker history! By unveiling its contemporary predecessor, the traditional model makers are now presenting the perfect companion to the already miniaturised Henschel tanker road train with cubic Lepoix driver's cab. Better yet, exhilarating lorry history is part of the package: Aral’s efforts to provide logistics with real-world benefits in their various sales branches began as early as the nineteen-fifties. The times called for powerful tankers capable of ensuring the fuel supply to the constantly growing network of petrol stations while also offering the largest possible cargo capacity for supplying industrial customers. The Henschel HS 165 T was to become the first forward-control truck to compete with the bonnet trucks, which were the most commonplace at the time. The Aral tanker trailer was subjected to extensive tests in Hamburg in an effort to prepare a tried-and-tested tractor-trailer combination for subsequent delivery to the fleet of vehicles used at the branches. Even though Aral was already operating with bonnet trucks made by Magirus, Henschel, Mercedes-Benz and MAN, the company entered somewhat uncharted territory with the HS 165 T.
Read the background information in the latest WIKING Magazine 2020
Like many others, this model comes with a unique history that involves the former SIKU tanker, serving as a reminiscence to the same Henschel prototype. The Lüdenscheid designers and mould makers started dabbling with the Henschel original as early as the initial years of the SIKU product range, which included model vehicles in 1:60 scale. Back then, of course, the cab-over-engine semi-trailer from Kassel embodied the state of the art in road train technology and was used by the Bochum head office for supplying fuel to several branches. You can view even more background information and photos of the time in the 2020 WIKING magazine, which is now available in shops fresh off the presses.
