Renault to Show All Estafette Range
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DETAILS of the vehicles to be exhibited by Renault, Ltd., Western Avenue, London. W.3, at the Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court, next month, are released today. There will be the four models which make up the Estafette forward-control 12-cwt. range, comprising a van, a pick-up, an eightseat bus and a high-roof version of the standard van. These vehicles differ only in bodywork and all have front-wheel drive, which, with independent rear suspension, allows an unladen floor height of only 1 ft. 24. in.
By current British standards, the Estafette is low-powered, having the 845 c.c. four-cylindered water-cooled engine fitted in the Renault Dauphine car. This unit, with a compression ratio of 7.75 to 1, develops 31 b.h.p. at 4.000 r.p.m. and 49.9 lb.-ft. torque at 2,000 r.p.m. It is coupled to a four-speed gearbox with synchromesh on all the forward ratios.
Transmission Arrangement The engine is ahead of the front-wheel centres, whilst the gearbox is behind them. The differential and final-drive assembly are sandwiched between the two units. Final-drive ratio is 5.83 to 1, providing a maximum speed of about 56 m.p.h.
Swinging half-shafts take the drive from the differential output flanges to the independently sprung front wheels. Each drive shaft has an inboard universal joint, a sliding splined joint, a Repusseau sleeve, which employs rubber to absorb vibration and accommodate small changes in length, and a double universal joint at the wheel.
Wheel centres are slightly to the rear of the output flanges to obtain the maximum pivot angle from the universal joints. This gives thd 7-ft. 5f-in.-wheelbase vehicle a turning circle of 30 ft. Worm-and-roller steering gear with a ratio of 18 to 1 is fitted.
Each front wheel is carried on double wishbones and is sprung by a coil unit e22 surrounding a telescopic damper interposed between the top wishbone and a pressed-steel cross-member. The complete front assembly, consisting of the engine, transmission and front suspension complete with wheels, is mounted on a channel-section sub-frame attached to the unitary body structure by eight bolts.
At the rear, a pressed-steel one-piece transverse member carries the simple independent suspension. Each stub axle is attached to a single wishbone and sprung by units similar to tose employed at the front wheels.
Rubber bump stops are fitted all round and the suspension gives only 2 in. variation in height between the unladen and fully laden conditions. The member carrying the rear suspension and wheels is attached to the body by four bolts. Tyres are 165 x 380 (approximately 6.00IS in.) and the hydraulic braking system acts on 9-in.-diameter drums with 2.1-in.wide linings at all wheels. A 6v. electrical system is fitted on all models other than the eight-seat bus, which has 12v. equipment.
The steel bodywork is welded to a platform made up of two inverted tophat-section main Iongitudinals and eight cross-members with outrigged Z-section runners carrying corrugated-steel flooring. The standard van has a sliding cab door on the near side and a hinged door for the driver, a sliding side door, and a three-door arrangement at the rear. This consists of a top-hinged upper flap and side-hinged lower doors.
Internally the body is 8 ft. 1} in. long behind the seats, 5 ft. if in. wide, 5 POI in. high and provides 187 cu. ft. of load space. The high-roof version has an interior height of 6 ft. and a capacity of 215 Cu. ft.
Standard equipment includes a passenger seat, spare wheel and tyre, heating and demisting equipment, and self-cancelling traffic indicators. The standard van costs £648 and the high-roofed model £40 more. Hinged cab doors are fitted to the pick-up, which has a removable tailboard and costs £628. Hoops and a tilt cover for it are priced at 120.
All the goods models can be supplied painted in one of four colours for an extra £10. The eight-seat bus is based on the standard van, but has hinged cab doors. The sliding side door and threedoor arrangement at the rear are retained. Including painting, this model costs £810, to which has to be added £338 12s. 6d. purchase tax.