NEWS IN BRIEF
Page 53
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Bedford Sales Up: Following the announcement that sales of Bedford commercial vehicles in 1963, at 84,131, were '9.per cent better than in the previous year, the Vauxhall Motors Ltd. annual report states that sales of commercial vehicles and cars in the first quarter of 1964 were 40 per cent higher than in the same period of 1962, and exports were 49 per cent up. Company profit, before tax, in 1963 was £10,916,317; details are given in " Money Matters" on pages 78-79 of this issue.
Container Service Extended : The unit load container ferry service between Newry and Liverpool is to be extended to three sailings in each direction weekly and will also carry general cargo. Operated by the British and Irish Steam Packet Co. Ltd., it will supplement the general cargo service operated by the company's motor vessel " Dundalk."
Teicon Opens Scottish Depot : Telcon Plastics Ltd., members of the B.I.C.C. Group, of Orpington, Kent, have opened a stock depot for Scotland at the premises of Magnetic and Electrical Alloys Ltd., Burnbank, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, who are also members of the group. Mr. James Buchanan is in charge of the depot as area representative.
Chain Manufacturers' New Premises : To meet increasing demands in the south-west. Renold Chains Ltd., of Manchester, will move into new Bristol premises in the autumn. The new headquarters, op the Brislington Trading Estate, will provide wider stock facilities and off-the-road lorry and car parking space. Switch to Peugeot : Citroen of France has announced that it is going to use the Peugeot Indenor diesel engine instead of the present Perkins 4.99 diesel in its 1:-ton goods models.
£2 m. Investment : International Harvester Co. is to invest £2 m. in an 80 per cent enlargement of the Saltilto plant of its Mexican subsidiary with a view to production of lorries and tractors by the autumn of 1965. 1,H. has been assembling lorries in Mexico since 1947, but this move is to participate in the country's programme for increased domestic manufacture. Lorries to be Produced at Saltillo will be in the 6-7-ton, gross-vehicle-weight category.
Specialist Unit for Commercials: The Lincolnshire Motor Co. Ltd. has separated the commercial activities from the company's now and used ear showrooms and set up a specialist unit to cater for commercial operators. The repair workshops incorporate the latest design and facilities and cater for any commercial vehicle from a 5-cwt. van to the largest articulated unit. There is headroom of 17 ft. and a special lubrication bay for heavy vehicles, a diesel pump test shop and a separate workshop for light commercial vehicles which offers a "while you wait" lubrication service. A comprehensive parts department with 58,000 cu. ft. of store space provides an extensive service for operators and the depot operates a 24-hr.
repair and vehicle recovery service. Mr. R. J. Butler has been appointed service manager and Mr. B. Kay commercial sales manager. The Parts department is managed by Mr. R. Picking. Glasgow Transport Museum: The new transport museum which. Glasgow Corporation is preparing will be Opened by the Queen Mother on April 14: The only other muMcipal transport Museum in Britain is in Belfast.
Plug Makers : The address of the makers of the K.L.G. FE70A sparking plug featured in our March 27 iSsue is S. Smith and Sons tEngland) Ltd., Spark Plug and Ceramics Division, St. Peter's Road, Rugby, War., and not as stated previoushi. New Distributor: York Trailer Co. Ltd. has appointed Marston Motor Co. Ltd., Seven Sisters Road, London, N,17, av distributors. l'hey will handle sales, service and spares I or all York products in London N.16 and N.17.
"Tidal Flow " Experiment : The /Vlinistei of Transport inaugurated the first experiment in Britain with full "tidal flow ' at 4 p.m. on Monday. The scheme has been introduced on the Albert Bridge over the Thames and aims at relieving rush-hour congestion by making Albert Bridge and Albert Bridge Road one-way northbound between 7 and 10 a.m., and one-way southbound between 4 and 7 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays. At other times, the road and bridge will be open to two-way traffic.
General Motors U.S. Expansion General Motors Corp., U.S.A., is planning to spend about £70 in. over the next two years on new plant and equipment. Opening a new plant at Fremont, California, the chairman, Mr. F. Donner, said that expansion was being undertaken in the belief that an average annual market of at. least 10 m. cars and trucks in the U.S. by 1970 could he expected -15 per cent higher than the market today.