BRITISH VEHICLES at the
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
BRUSSELS SHOW
British Manufacturers Take the Lead in Exhibiting a Wide Range of Vehicles, Many of Which Have Been Specially Designed for Continental Requirements. British Battery. Electrics are Shown Without Competition From Any Part of the World
LAST year the British commercial-vehicle industry was represented at the Brussels -Show by only five Manufacturers, but the competition from this side of the channel will be greatly increased, when the exhibition opens, to-morrow, by the invasion of 20 British makes of vehicle. This is the largest proportion of exhibitors from any country. There will be 16 American, 13 French: and four Belgian makes of commercial vehicle, together with single entries from Germany, Italy and Sweden.
In classification, the British element will be fully representative •cif the industry, the exhibits ranging from -a 5-cwt. van and pedestrian-controlled battery-electric S to a 46-seater single-deck bus and a 20-ton articulated outfit.
There are already large numbers of British vehicles operating on the Continent, their suitability for European conditions being demonstrated by the repeat orders received by the manufacturers. Operators have not purchased these models because of a scarcity of models, but orders have been placed with the knowledge that the machines have traditional British skill and workmanship as a backing.
Made to Measure
Two A.E.C. left-hand-drive chassis, which will be seen on the stand of Etablissements G. Spitals, Rue Tweemont, 165, 167, Deume, Anvers, the Belgian agent and distributor of A.E.C. and Mandslay products, illustrate the development of a machine to meet the requirements of overseas operators. Both A.E.C. models are equipped with the 9.6-litre oil engine: having the components arranged on the off side for greater accessibility.
One of the machines, a Regal Mark III single-decker bus or coach chassis, has fluid coupling driving to an epicyclic pre-selective gearbox and air-operated brakes. To reduce driving fatigue the gearbox is operated by compressed air and gears are selected by a short lever attached to the steering column.
The second exhibit, a short-wheelbase tractor, incorporates a five-speed gearbox, all but the first and reverse gear trains being of constant-mesh pattern.
engaged by dog clutches. It has a single-drive rear axle, with a doublereduction gear unit in which the first reduction is by a spiral-bevel assembly, and the second by a double-helical pinion and wheel. The foot brake, acting on all four wheels, is operated by compressed air, supplied by a single-cylindered compressor delivering air through a reservoir to four independently operated cylinders. Twin Westinghouse air-pressure trailer-brake couplings are fitted.
A sectioned model of the 9.6-litre direct-injection oil engine will also be shown. • The A.40 van will be seen in three of its various guises on the Austin stand. This popular 10-cwt. chassis, to be shown with van, pick-up and Countryman bodies, retains the car refinement of independent front-wheel suspension. All three models hav,2 enclosed bonnet fasteners, concealed door hinges and enclosed spare wheel.
An example of the 25-cwt chassis will be exhibited in the form of the Welfarer convertible ambulance and hospital
tender. The forward-mounted driving compartment is integral with the boo,, which is of steel construction, having Isoilex material in the side walls to give thermal and sound insulation. It has an interior heating and ventilation system with thermostatic control.
Both the Austin 2-!on and 5-ton models to be shown are equipped with the new 68 b.h.p. overhead-valve petrol engine and four-speed gearbox. The heavier model will be seen as a short-wheelbase chassis, complete with cab, and as a long-wheelbase lorry with a drop-sided body. A similar body will be fitted to the 2-ton chassis.
The Austin Crompton Parkinson 20-cwt. battery-electric will be found on the same stand, with an open dairy body.
This model has a solenoid-contactor control operated by an automatic delayed-action foot switch, providing three forward speeds and reverse. A resistance of unbreakable
grid pattern is employed. The Austin distributor for Belgium is R. E Higgins, " Sogida," Rue du Page 87, Brussels.
General Motors, Ltd., Antwerp, will be responsible for the Bedford vehicles exhibited. It is expected that an example of each model of the range from 10 cwt. to 5 tons will be on the stand when the Show opens to-morrow.
There Will be four mod-t-tis of the Commer range exhibited, two of which are fitted with the 109 b.h.p, overhead-valve petrol engine, inclined in• the chassis as an under-floor unit. These are to be shown by Rootes (Belgique) S.A.. Shell Building, Rite Ravenstein 60. Brussels.
Restyled in the modern streamlined manner, the 8-cwt. delivery van has independent front suspension and synchromatic gear change, with the selector lever mounted on the
steering column iff.tnediately' below :the wheel. An innovation adding to the ultimate life of the vehicle isthe new all-steel body, which, welded to abox-seetion under.
frame,-fortris an -integral unit of great strength: • • The Stiperpoise 4,5-ton chassis will have a Perkins P.6 oil engine. .Like other models of the 'Superpoise range, a novel system of mounting the radiatOr, wings, bonnet. scuttle and cab is einployed. The superstruettire carrying these components is Carried on the chassis at four points, the Whole comprising a diamond-shaped mounting. Stresses arc not passed to the wings,cab and radiator when riding over rough surfaces.
An under-floor engine is fitted to the 7-ton forward control model, which is to be shown as a chassis. Feattires of this machine inelude the wheelbase arrangement for balanced loading between the axles. unobstructed cab interior and ease of Maintenance. The other Commer vehicle, which will be shown with the inclined power unit. is the Avenger passenger chassis fitted with a Harrington 34-seater all-metal bus body: This model, in coach form, is fully described in the road-test report in this issue.
As a bus. the Avenger has a front entrance on the near side. with an external sliding door. Metal tubular seat frames are secured to built-in rails and supported on tubular nedestais, The Dunlopillo cushions and squabs c4 are covered with leather and moquette. The cab is part of the rhain saloon and seats a conductor as well as the driver; both seats are fully adjustable and are detachable for access to the engine.
An agricultural tractor and a range of poWer-controllcd implements of David Brown manufacture wiltbe exhibited by EtabliSsement Vandenbeele, Rue dela Campine, Brussels. The .Cropmaster tractor, which will be on the stand, has a four-cylindereci overhead-valve engine with :anautomatically controlled toifspot. Engine, clutch,gearbox and rear axle "form the :backbone, or frame, of the chassis. . A foden EGTU 6/20-ton tractor chassis, with left-hand steering will be seen at the Show, on the stand of Remorques R.A.Y., 'Avenue de Scheut 194, Brussels. This tractor is equipPed ,with a Gardner six-cylindered oil engine, fourspeed gearbox, recirculatory-ball steering, and-the manufacturer's own hydraulic servo braking system: .
. Exhibited as separate units. the steering-gear assembly, gearbox and rear axle are standard components of the Foden FG goods and passenger range of vehicles. .Based on the recirculatory-ball system. all frictional surfaces of the. steering box are in rollingcontact, thus friction area is reduded to a minimum. The rear-axle assembly to be shown is cut away to reveal: the, braking system and opera
tion. which gives progressively multiplying. leverage. •
The Ford Motor Co., Ltd.; Dagenham, has sent two light vans to the Exhibition, and they will be seen on the stand of the Ford Motor Co. (Belgium) S.A.. Antwerp. .Both the 5-cwt. and 10-cwt. vans have 10 h.p, four-cylindered sidevalve engines. three-speed .synchromesh gearboxes and left-hand steering. Composite mood and metal bodies are fitted, the smaller model having a payload space of 65 cubic ft., whilst the body volume of the 10-cwt, van is 120 cubic ft.
One of the latest versions of the Guy Arab passenger range, together with a Vixen chassis, will be shown by Dc Nederlandsche Motoren Mij. N.V., Waalhaven, 0.Z. I, Rotterdam, the Guy agent for Holland and Belgium. The Arab, a left-hand-control, 8-ft.-wide, 19-ft. 6-in.-wheelbase chassis, is equipped with the Gardner 6LW 102 b.h.p. oil engine, fluid transmission coupling, air-operated preselective epieyclic gearbox and compressed-air braking system.
Adding to the interest of the stand, the Vixen 4-ton goods chassis will be displayed with dual left-hand and right-hand control. A Perspex front dash and bonnet arc fitted to show the sectioning of the engine, clutch and gearbox. A forward-control model, it has a 58 b.h.p, overhead-valve petrol engine, four-speed gearbox and hydraulically operated two-leading-shoe braking syStem. A Gardner 4LK engine is also to be seen on this stand.
Cross-Country Vehicle
The Land-Rover maid-of-all-work is to be exhibited in three of its various guises with other products of the Rover Co., Ltd., Coventry. It will be seen in chassis form, in its standard version, and as an estate car and station wagon. Although a recent introduction, overseas orders for the Land-Rover have already reached a total value of £800,000.
The four-cylindered petrol engine employs overhead inlet and side exhaust valves, the camshaft being driven from the crankshaft by a double-roller chain, which is maintained at correct tension by a hydraulic
adjuster. A transfer box in the -transmission incorporates two speeds, which, in conjunction with the main gearbox, afford a range of eight forward. and two reverse ratios. A free-wheel differential is fitted to the front axle to balance the transmission for variations in road surfaces. The chassi frame, constructed with box-section side and cross-members, is treated against corrosion.
A goods vehicle and passenger chassis of the Leyland range are to be shown by the Belgian agent, Brossel Freres, Avenue de la Pede 2, 14-20, Brussels. Both chassis are equipped with the Leyland 9.8-litre 125 b.h.p. direct-injection oil engine. The LOPS.3 19-ft.-wheelbase 8-ft.-wide forward-control single-decker chassis has a four-speed synchromesh gearbox and a wormdriven rear axle with 8-in. centres. A 32-34seater body may be fitted.
A road-test report of the goods chassis, the Beaver EB5 L. four-wheeler, will be published in "The Commercial Motor' next Friday. It bas a five-speed gearbox with constant-mesh arrangements for three upper ratios, and compressedair braking. A worm-driven rear axle with 9-in, centres is employed to meet the demands of heavy-duty operation. This model is shown with a Perspex bonnet, front dash and floorboards.
A Maudslay Marathon Mark 111 20-ft.-wheelbase passenger chassis will be making its debut at the Brussels Show. This model, described in "The Commercial Motor on January 7, has the A.E.C. 9.6-litre engine and five-speed overdrive-top gearbox, The Mustang six-wheeler, with twin-axle steering, will be in evidence on the stand as a chassis, and as a complete' vehicle outside the Show, for demonstration purposes. It is fitted with the A.E.C. 9.6-litre compression-ignition power unit, five-speed gearbox and vacuum-servo braking. A full descriptive road test of this model was published in "The Commercial Motor" on December 17, 1948. The Maudslay agent for Belgium is Etablissement G. Spitals, Rue Tweemont 165-167, Antwerp.
The Morris-Commercial 5-ton forward-control oil-engined chassis will make its first Continental appearance at the Brussels Show. This machine, a long-wheelbase model equipped with the 41-litre engine, has a simple hydraulic braking system, with self-energizing units at all wheels.
Morris 5-cwt. and 10-cwt. vans will also be seen on this stand. P. Decrose, Rue du Sceptre 96, Brussels, is responsible for the distribution of Nuffield vehicles in Belgium..
The only British vehicle shown with a two-speed rear axle will be the-Seddon 5 LH straight-frame goods chassis. Like the single-decker passenger chassis, which is also to be exhibited, it has the Perkins P6 oil engine and hydraulic braking operated with vacuum assistance. The goods chassis is equipped with a four-speed gearbox, which, in combination with the two-speed axle, affords a selection of eight forward,
and two reverse ratios. A five-speed gearbox is fitted to the left-hand-control drop-frame passenger chassis. Etablissement Hocke, Rye Gaucheret 30, Brussels, is the Benelux agent for Seddon vehicles.
In addition to the display of cars, the Standard Motor Co., Ltd., of Coventry, will be exhibiting the delivery van and pick-up utility. Ot 12-cwt. capacity, both commercial models are powered by a four-cylindered overhead-valve petrol engine which develops 68 b.h.p. at 4,000 r.p.m. A Borg and Beck clutch takes the drive to a three-speed synchromesh gearbox, the selection lever of which is mounted on the steering column. A Hardy Spicer open propeller shaft completes the drive to a hypoid-bevel rear axle. The front wheels have independent suspension by coil springs, semi-elliptic springs being employed at the rear. A Vulcan .6 PF long-wheelbase chassis to he exhibited has a Perkins P6 oil engine and is arranged for left-hand control. Transmission to the rear wheels is by Hardy Spicer propeller shafts, with needle-roller bearing joints and an overheadworm drive in the axle. Foot-brake operation is by Lockheed hydraulic mechanism, in conjunction with a Clayton Dewandre servo.
Battery-electric vehicles are rapidly gaining popularity on the Continent, which holds a large potential market for this class of local-delivery unit. it speaks well for British enterprise that four manufacturers of battery-electrics, including Austin Crompton Parkinson, should seize the opportunity of exploiting this market by displaying models at the Brussels Show without competition from any other part of the globe.
T. H. Lewis, Ltd., Watford, will be showing two Electruk models, through S. A. Antadis. Rue Vcydt 15. Brussels, the Benelux agent. Both the three-wheelers and four-wheelers are pedestrian-controlled, the F.A. model having a payload capacity of 12 cwt., whilst the latest four-wheeler, with full-width tracks at the front and rear, can carry a load of
1 ton. Both are equipped with dairy bodies, which are hinged on the chassis at the rear, so that they may be raised clear of the electrical and mechanical components for maintenance.
Northern Coachbuilders, Ltd., will be displaying the 20-cwt. model as a chassis and complete with body. in addition to the 14-cwt. general-purpose van. These batteryelectrics, arranged with left-hand steering, have B.T.H. electrical equipment and Exide ironclad batteries. A, measure of interchangeability is achieved by employing a
standard motor of 121It.p. at the 1-hr. rating, and other common component parts. Both exhibits with bodies have fully enclosed cabs, the 1-tonner being shown with a dairy body, whilst the 14-cwt. type has a fully enclosed body with
doors at the rear. These models are distributed in the Benelux countries by S. A. Antadis. Rue Veydt 15, Brussels.
Three chassis of the Tomlinson range of battery-electrics are to be shown by Tomlinson-Benelux, N.V. i.o., Ananasstraat 59, The Hague, Holland, the bodies of both these models being built in that country. The Roadster A.6 pedestrian-controlled 20-cwt. chassis, in common with others of the range, has a 1:4, h.p. motor and overhead-worm-driven rear axle. A second pedestrian-controlled version is the I-ton universal works truck. which, with castor wheels at each end of the frame, hns a turning circle of 6 ft. It has a manually controlled brake, which iakes effect on a transmission drum. The Omnitruc, which is also made by Tomlinson (Electric Vehicles), Ltd., Brownlow Mews, London, W.C.1, has a three-speed range, the maximum speed being 12 m.p.h. Next week's issue will contain an illustrated review of the Continental exhibits and will point out trends in design. The Show remaim open until February 2.