Black Amber: Gary West’s limited-edition Scania R730

Original ACT archive feature; no individual byline or photographer credit is recorded in the retained feature.

Gary West chose a limited-edition Scania R730 for its 730 horsepower, custom finish and bitumen-hauling work.

With a Falcon XA GT in the garage that he’s owned for 40 years and his wife driving a BF GT, it’s no surprise that Gary West was wanting big horsepower in his latest truck purchase, and the power doesn’t get much bigger than in Scania’s R 730 prime mover.

As well as the massive horsepower this particular Scania is a limited edition collectable with only 100 made globally.

Only two of the Scania Black Amber special edition trucks made by the legendary European truck designers Svempa made it to Australia.

The trucks are fitted with special Black Amber fittings and a metallic flake paint scheme, and both are fitted with the spacious and luxurious Highline Sleeper Cab.

The dark brown metallic paint features chrome detailing and badges, and matte or high-gloss black graphic accents, and each of the side panels and doors is home to a set of carbonfibre-effect flames that emerge from the corner nostrils.

The front grille and front air scoops are finished in Brilliant Black, while a striking high-gloss Piano Black finish is applied to side and front mirrors, windscreen surrounds, door hinges and the V8 badging near the door handles, and the rear of cab bar hosting the Suzi coils.

Inside, the Black Amber ambience builds on the standard high specification luxury feel by adding black leather seats with carbon black centre sections and orange V8 graphics.

A black perforated leather covered steering wheel with Black Amber inserts is a highlight, while red LED safety lights on the lower door panel, black leather centre floor mat with Black Amber V8 trim strip, Black Amber rear wall panel – signed and numbered – join black driver and passenger floor mats with black borders.

The truck features grey coach scroll pin striping, customised guards featuring chrome inserts, and additional chequer plating.

While providing both form and function is a polished, custom-made Chris Barron bull bar and HID driving lights for enhanced visibility on remote roads.

To carry the necessary personal protection equipment required to work with bitumen – which is held at 190 degrees Celsius – Gary commissioned T&T Hydraulics to manufacture two stainless steel toolboxes and optimise the Scania’s back of cab area resulting in what Gary refers to a “factory-like finish”.

Gary says that there are many benefits to running good-looking and well maintained trucks.

“Presentation is everything,” he says. “The end customers as well as Downer appreciate the effort we go to in keeping our vehicles in top-shape. We get given excellent tankers by Downer and we present a clean and professional image to everyone on the road.”

On the inside the truck features premium leather driver and passenger seats, and a specially-ordered sports-style steering wheel, along with the many standard features that make the Scania cab an extremely pleasant and functional work environment.

With retirement approaching in a few short years, the R 730 could well be Gary’s last Scania.

“I’ve had a great relationship with the Adelaide Scania dealership over many years, they go out of their way to help me,” Gary says. “I know a bloke who’s been there in the parts department the whole time I’ve had Scanias – in the early days before computers I used to call him and he’d quote chassis numbers to me off the top of his head.

“When I bought my first new Scania back in 1994, I thought it was the pinnacle, I thought that it wasn’t going to get any better than that – boy was I wrong.”

While Gary and wife Debbie are self-confessed ‘rev heads’, their decision to buy an R 730 goes well beyond a desire to have a stylistic and powerful collectable truck, according to the 35-year veteran of the road transport industry, the Scania’s high output should lead to greater operating efficiencies.

“Power doesn’t have to come at the cost of poor fuel economy,” Gary says. “A larger engine will often use less than a smaller engine that is forced to work harder – I’ve always enjoyed good fuel economy from my Scanias.”

But it’s much more than just the power that has kept Gary West using Scanias for three decades, the R 730 being the ninth that the company has owned.

Gary’s association with the brand is a long one. He began driving as a subcontractor for well-known Adelaide transport identity, Peter Kennedy. Peter swore by Scanias and sold one to Gary some 30 years ago – the rest is history as they say.

The new R 730 is mainly driven by son-in-law, Mark; Gary normally spends his time behind the wheel of an R 560, while Debbie is responsible for the company’s bookwork and compliancing requirements (areas that Gary’s very happy not to be involved with), and daughter Jen also lends a hand whenever needed.

Talking with Gary from a truck stop in Batesford just out of Geelong, he’s on his way home to Adelaide hauling a single tanker trailer of bitumen back to a Downer Edi plant.

The road to Adelaide is a comfortable one, but longer distances and rougher roads are only a phone call away, and this calls for a comfortable, safe and reliable truck.

“We can get called at short notice to wherever roads are being built, Darwin, Townsville or further afield. There are work crews waiting on us, so having a reliable truck is just so important,” Gary says.

For the trips up north the R 730 enters road train mode picking up an extra trailer (can couple a third if needed), usually hauling around a 50 tonne payload.

According to Gary, it’s on these longer drives that the new truck really comes into its own, offering an excellent blend of driving aids, safety features and operator comfort that few other manufacturers can match.

“I have had some stints in North American trucks in the past, but at the end of the day I’ve been very happy to give the keys back to the owners telling them, ‘I can’t wait to get back in my Scania,’” Gary says.

“The Opticruise transmission is so brilliant and smooth, and the Scania retarder is excellent. Even when heavily loaded the retarder holds the truck so well without needing to apply the brakes.”

According to Gary, safety is another important consideration in buying Scania products – the R 730 features electronically-controlled disc brakes, EBS with integrated ABS and traction control, as well as a Hill Hold function.

“Safety is important for all drivers, but when you have family working for you and sometimes the wife’s company as well, you can’t compromise. I like the steering wheel controls on the new truck, so many features can be accessed without taking your hands off the wheel.”

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