Jonathan Damman and his love of beautiful trucks with power

But his heart wasn’t really in it. “I love beautiful trucks with power,” the self-employed truck driver admits. Jonathan found enough reasons to finally follow his heart three years later: new customers in areas with difficult terrain where his old tractor vehicle could no longer cope with the demands – above all regarding fuel consumption. Also the new tipper semitrailer was champagne-coloured which didn’t match particularly well with the first – red and white – tractor vehicle. “I had wanted a more powerful engine for a long time. And as I was replacing the whole vehicle/trailer combination, I decided to give myself a gift and put together an out-of-the-ordinary vehicle,” he explains. “I was already imagining how upper and lower headlamp brackets in polished stainless steel with illuminated lettering on the air scoop would be mounted.”

But good truck tuners are rare in northern France. However, the Mercedes-Benz consultant in Isques, Laurent Meyrignac, was able to help him further. Together, they configured the new truck and gave the Belgian company AIS in Bütgenbach, four hours’ drive from Calais, the conversion job. The Actros 1863 was given champagne-coloured paintwork and was equipped with a chassis shielding made of aluminium sheet and stainless steel steps, whilst the spoiler was fitted with a stainless steel strip with integrated light units each comprising five LED lamps on the side. Further light profile strips were coordinated with the lateral underride guard. And of course the upper and lower headlight brackets each with four or six additional headlights and the illuminated lettering “S. T. J.C” were a must. On the whole the arrangement of the lights works well and the two stainless steel air horns provide the perfect sound.

As far as the tractor vehicle is concerned, it has everything you’d want: full pneumatic suspension, a cab with SoloStar Concept equipment including a luxury leather chair, a leather steering wheel, auxiliary climate control, a refrigerator and a tyre pressure monitoring system for all wheels.

The vehicle was at the Belgian tuners for a month. Today, it is not only Jonathan who is absolutely satisfied with his new tractor vehicle: “Even customers have congratulated me because they are pleased to be supplied by such a beautiful vehicle.”