Output Up by a Third, But Only 17°/ 0 More Labour for B.M.C.
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THE ultimate effect of the £49m. expansion plan announced by the British Motor Corporation last week will be to increaseoutput by a third for a 17-per-cent. increase in labour. The aim is to raise annual production from 750,000 vehicles to im. by 1962.
Production of light commercial vehicles and cars, which use common main components, will be concentrated in the Midlands. The manufacture of commercial vehicles over 2 tons, and tractors, will be transferred and concentrated in three factories at Bathgatc, near Glasgow.
The plan provides for a new factory in South-west Wales to manuracture pressings and major sub-assemblies for bodies, and for extensions to the existing radiator factory at Llanelly.
A further project is envisaged at Swynnerton, North Staffs, where, on the site of a former Ministry of Supply factory, knocked-down vehicles will be packed for export.
The only new building to be constructed under the scheme will be one for spare parts at or near Oxford, but an extension is planned at Longbridge, by the present assembly buildings.
A total of £26m. is to be spent on development in the Midlands and schemes outside this area will total about £21m., of which £9.5m. is represented by buildings that will be put up by the Board of Trade and paid for over 15 years. Another £2m. will be spent overseas.
It has been emphasized by Mr. G. W. Harriman, deputy chairman, that , the plans would provide a good deal of elasticity to make allowances for market conditions.
CANADA BOOSTS PRODUCTION DRODUCTION of commercial vehicles in Canada during 1959 totalled slightly over 67,000 units. This compared favourably with the 61,428 produced in 1958, but was below the 1957 figure of 71,868.
Since 1954, Canada has imported more commercial vehicles than it has exported, and European-built vehicles have taken. an increasing share of the market. The 1959 imports from Europe totalled about 8,300—or 10.5 per cent. of all goods vehicles and buses registered. Nearly all European vehicles imported were of the light-delivery van type.
ANGLO-CANADIAN COMPETITION DRODUCTION at the British Motor
Corporation's new factory at Umtali, Southern Rhodesia, will begin next September.
A plant to assemble cars and commercial vehicles is also to be set up in Southern Rhodesia by the Ford Motor Co. of Canada.
MORE BORGWARDS
THE German Borgward concern raised their home odtput of commercial vehicles by 25.8 per cent. last year compared with 1958. Their subsidiary in the Argentine assembled 16,773 commercial vehicles. This year the figure will be increased by 5,000.
Verheul Develop Air Suspension
AIR springs are used at the rear axles of 35 city buses ordered from Verheul, N.V., Waddinxveen, Holland, by Maastricht municipality. The suspension is of Verheul design, and incorporates German Continental rolling-lobe springs, controlled by Bendix-Westinghouse levelling valves.
The new buses seat 30 passengers, with standing room for a further 37, and are rated to operate at a gross weight of 111 tons. Other features of these integral vehicles are the use of Voith Diwabus 145 D2 fully automatic gearboxes and a transistorized interior lighting system operating at 220v. Volvo engines and axles are used.
The rear suspension embodies two long radius arms, to which the axle is rigidly mounted and at the rear ends of which is a transverse member. The air springs are carried at the outer ends of this member so that they are outrigged to lie behind the rear wheels.
A pair of telescopic dampers is attached to the central section of the transverse member, and a single Panhard rod provides lateral location.
DOUBLE-DECKERS FOR BANGALORE
THE first double-deck buses to be employed in the growing city of Bangalore, India, have been put into service by Mysore Road Transport Department. They are based on Leyland Titan OPD2.9 chassis manufactured by Ashok Leyland, Ltd., Madras, and have 0.600 oil engines and semi-automatic Pneumo-Cyclic gearboxes.
Bodies were built by Jayanand Khira and Co., Bombay. They incorporate light-alloy framing with steel floor structures and bulkheads. Light alloy is used also for the body panels, platform, staircase and flooring on both decks.
The complete 72-seat bodies weigh approximately 24 tons each.
WANTED—A MANAGER
BECAUSE there is no suitable person available on the island for the post, Ceylon Transport Board have decided to recruit a general manager for their undertaking from abroad. Applications will be called for from persons with 10 years' experience in bus management. A salary of £225 per month will be offered.