The Dual-purpose Body is Not a Back Number
Page 38
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A Practical Design of Convertible Utility Body Which Can Be Put to a Number of Civilian and Service Uses A LTHOUGH the dual-purpose— ti goods and passenger—body had been developed to a remarkable extent on the Continent, it was not taken up seriously in this country until a_ few years before the war. One company which figured prominently in this development was Martin Walter Ltd., 'Thames Ditton, the well-known coachbuilding concern, which placed its Utilecon all-purpose body o_t the market about this time.
The Utilecon is a particularly wellthought-out design, being applicable to many and varied purposes, either as an all-passenger vehicle, or as a van for goods only. After the outbreak of war, this body proved well suited to certain Service needs, with the result That its production has not only been maintained but increased.
A point which distinguishes this design from that of other dual-purpose bodies is that the passenger seats are there all the time, being sunk flush with the steel floor when the vehicle is used as a van. At the end of a goods-delivery trip the owner does not find that seats have been left at home just when they are most needed.
For retail tradesmen in country districts, the outfit makes an ideal lightdelivery van during the working week and a roomy private car at other times. Its appearance when used privately is, moreover, smart and attractive.
There are many uses to which this type of body can be put when mounted on a light but sturdy chassis. A good. looker, with ample luggage capacity, it should make an excellent station bus for hotels, whilst it Should also appeal to commercial travellers who are obliged to carry bulky or fragile samples over long distances.
To the farming community, the allpurpose body is almost an essential requirement, which explains the reason for its pre-war popularity in agricultural France. The same circumstances shOuld apply in this country after the war, for it seems certain that British agriculture is bound to play an important part in post-war development. When used for the transport of sheep, pigs, or other animals, a slip-in protective floor is provided, and a folding steel ramp is arranged at the back for loading and unloading purposes. Five sheep can be carried at a time.
There are two large sliding windows in the sides, whilst additional lights are fitted in the rear doors; the front doors have drop windows of normal type. In naval and military Utilecons for the transport of personnel, a letdown stretcher forms part of the standard equipment.
When in civilian use, side and rear windows can be made to serve a useful 'purpose during working hours Special spring-roller blinds, bearing the owner's name and trade, are drawn down close to the glass, giving an effect a panelling. This arrangement and the smart
appearance of the vehicle give it a useful publicity value.
When employed as a van, the Utilecon carries a load of 10 cwt., whilst in saloon form it will accommodate six passengers, in addition to the driver. The Interior design has been so well carried out that when goods have been unloaded the change over to passenger transpowt may be made in 25 seconds.
The seats are hinged in such a man-, ner that when" dropped forward and turned down, the back forms part and parcel of the steel flooring. The whole design is practical and, in many respects, shows an advance on Continental types.