AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Bird's Eye View

19th October 1962
Page 75
Page 75, 19th October 1962 — Bird's Eye View
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

T SEE from the current issue of B.M.C. World that Iproduction directors of the British Motor Corporation have recently been flying to various parts of the world, including Portugal, Switzerland and Sweden—with other men at management level travelling to the Argentine, Italy, Rhodesia and Columbia—to check on the condition of vehicles shipped overseas when they arrive at their delivery points. These checks have been made to ensure that the vehicle is received by the distributor in the same condition in which it left the factory and also to see that the predelivery service given before the vehicle is. delivered to its ultimate customer is up to B.M.C.'s standard.

Analytical reports are drawn up as a result of each visit, recommendations are made, and follow-up visits paid to ensure that any mutually agreed improvements are being put into effect. This is the sort of procedure which could well help to put an end to complaints from our overseas markets.

Progress in Paint

CRITICS of British mass-production paint finishes will be encouraged by the results of a 12-month test recently completed by General and Industrial Paints, Ltd. After 25,000 miles a car finished in water-thinnable paint was found to have a body finish "as good as new," with no sign of corrosion anywhere. These new paints do not require expensive solvents. are non-flammable, are free of toxic fumes and allow speedier application.

The car body was Bonderised and primer-dipped in the normal way, and then cold-sprayed with a primer surfacer based on British Resin Products' Epok water-soluble resin. This was staved and flatted down, after which two coats of blue enamel based on Cyanamid's Melaqua water-soluble resin were applied wet on wet and staved for a further 30 minutes. The G.I.P. test is stated to be a step on the way to water-thinnable paints on a full-production scale which will cut costs and give improved protection.

All at Sea?

A N interesting trend revealed at Earls Court was the -1-1 tendency for some builders of coach bodywork to refer to their 36-ft.-long products as being "in the II-metre class." To me this conjures up visions of elegant yachts and the tang of sea air.

The 36-ft. dimension is, of course, derived from the Continental 11-metre one but it is curious how phrasing can give it a glamorous nautical flavour.

The Long Road to Paris

I T was not only British exhibitors who experienced difficulty in getting their commercial vehicles to the Paris Salon the other week: some of the French makers experienced hold-ups also, and several stands were half empty on the morning of the opening day. It could not have been that preparation of the stands themselves was responsible for any delays, because the majority of the stands consisted of nothing more than a matting-covered square with a desk and two chairs—plus those vehicles that had arrived, of course. Earls Court exhibitors who feel like tearing their hair because of the lack of progress towards completion of their stands on the eve of opening day can take heart from this.

The Paris Salon was definitely a more convenient one for visitors to -cover this year, however. On previous occasions the car and accessory sections have been at the Grand Palais, in the centre of Paris, with the heavy vehicles over two miles away at the Porte de Versailles. This year the cars were also at the Porte de Versailles, in a brand

new hall, and a tunnel led from this section to the halls containing the commercial vehicles. This makes me wonder whether there will ever be an exhibition area somewhere near London which would make it practicable to hold car and commercial-vehicle shows simultaneously. I am sure that our overseas visitors would welcome this.

Rootes' Plans for E.E.C.

Q, PEAKING at a luncheon in Paris at the time of the 0.--) Salon, Lord Rootes stated the intention of his Group to develop their commercial-vehicle business on the Continent, and said that the first showing of the Commer 8-tonner, the Walk-Thru 2-tonner and the new export-only I-ton van exemplified this. Lord Rootes pointed out that lower duties would permit lower prices and increased business, and that our joining the Common Market would give five times the customer potential. It would also create

a "new look in manufacturing conditions, bringing greater employment, improved working conditions and a higher standard of wages.

Tags

Locations: London, Paris

comments powered by Disqus