Luxury Transport
Page 61
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Free for All A'part of a sales drive for Coronation year, Raymond Way Motors, Ltd., Canterbury Road, London, N.W.6, has acquired a Bedford Duple Vega coach to bring intending purchasers free of charge to the company's showrooms. Each weck-da y, the vehicle will pick up passengers within a 30-mile radius of the head office at Kilburn, a separate route being laid down for each day. On its first run, last Monday, the coach picked up passengers en route from Aylesbury.
Finished in white, picked out with red and blue, the coach was origin,ally a 34-seater, but the capacity has been 1-,:dtced to 24 to make room for extra equipment. Refreshments arc available
for passengers and a hostess, one of the crew of two, prepares hot drinks and other dishes on the gas cooker provided.
Apart • from the cooker, there is • a wash-basin with a small water tank pn the RIT side. at the rear, bath of these iterfig being mounted on a caraciona cupboard containing crotkery, cullejv and the like. The ctipboartlis,tnelPsed.
by sliding doors, : On the near side at the 1:64 is located a large toilet coniPartment. This is equipped with an Elsan toilet, a folding wash-basin, a mirror and interior light, and a special power point for the electric razor which is carried for passengers' use.
The water tank for the washbasin is mounted outside the compartment and concealed behind panelling. Both the water tanks are replenished from inside the vehicle. A single seat is provided for the hostess' between the toilet and " kitchen " compartments, and a useful table hinged on the near side of the rear folds down on to the draining board in front of the gas cooker,
There is a bell-push beside each seat for communication with , the,,hostess, .s.stflo` May also make annourieernents
with the aid of a inicrophope.and ampli-,
tier located in the couriers -position alongside the driver. The standard Bedford-Duple heating system is fitted. The public address and radio, a Smith's
Radiomobile product, has its control head on the near side of the cab. '
Two steel shelves on the near-side panel in the cab carry V.H.F. radio equipment for communication with tfie head office. The company has employed radio communication between the head office and representatives' cars for some time. Passengers may pass messages to head office while travelling in the coach.
The lavish interior equipment is matched by the treatment of the exterior of the vehicle. The standard Vega front. has been replaced by the new dc Ike frontal design. Above the bumper has been added a broad polished moulding with the usual plastic inset matched by similar mouldings along the body sides above the skirt rail, above the wing outline and along the top of the wheel-arches. The rear wheels are enclosed behind covers, a standard Duple extra, and two large wide mouldings run from behind the rear wheels round the rear of the body.
The rear windows are leaded and provision is made on each side of the body for carrying route boards. Above the windscreen are aerials for the coach radio, the V.H.F. installation and flag staffs carrying Union Jacks on each side of the flag of the United Nations. The conversion of the coach was carried out by Duple Motor Bodies, Ltd., The Hyde, Hendon, London, N.W.9.