Bird's Eye View By The Hawk
Page 30
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There Will Still Be Thornyerofts
WITH the news, published exclusively in last week's issue of The Commercial Motor, that the final batch of Thornycroft road vehicles had been sold to Oswald Tillotson's must inevitably come a certain nostalgic pang that the forces of rationalization have now caught up with yet another of the " old-oniginals " of road transport.
However, it does follow the predictions made by Lord Brabazon and Sir William Black when, last February, A.C.V., Ltd., purchased Transport Equipment (Thornycroft), Ltd. They both then spoke of "complementary ranges." So the Swiftsure, Trusty, Mastiff and Trident are no more in production. But they will undoubtedly continue to be seen on our roads tor many years yet, because A.C.V. have guaranteed spares supply and service, to keep these fine vehicles running.
Big Jobs Continue
A LL this does not mean that the Thornycroft production -I-Alines are to cease, though. The " big boys "—like the Mighty Antar and Big Ben and the off-the-road jobs such as the Nubian—are still (and, I am assured, always will be) very much alive. In addition, production of certain marine diesel engines will continue.
I learn, incidentally, that A.E.C. and Thornyeroft sales and service are now completely integrated at home (with the exception of Cardiff) and in all overseas territories where such is a practical move •
What of the spare productive capacity at the Thornyeroft Basingstoke factory? We are not apparently to have a repetiA28 tion of the Crossley/Maudslay business where, for seven after those concerns were taken over, operators were A.E.C. models with whichever of the three name-pla operator preferred to have displayed.
My guess is that the Basingstoke production lines w to A.E.C. components.
• 1491 Years' Se, THAT was the total logged by the 43 drivers who r I Safe Driving Awards at the South Eastern Divisions quarters of British Road Services in London last wed average of over 34 years per driver, and Virtually w same employer (discounting any change of name due to sive take-overs or nationalization).
There is undoubtedly a moral to be drawn here existence, and appreciation, of a steady job has undo inured equally steady driving habits.
Driver G. W. Cheat of Victoria Park Branch (Co has now been awarded the 40-year Gold Brooch. Ea the year he received a special trophy from the Min Transport in recognition of this exceptional record.
He was closely followed by his Branch mate, Mr. 11 man, who received a 35-year .Gold Brooch. He told he prefers the night work. He has been engaged for mar operating between Fleet Street .and wholesale newsagent cry from his first job—driving armoured cars on the Nor Frontier way back in 1917. But by an odd coincide same day as the presentation the Transport Tribt: another place---were hearing all about armoured cars,