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Petrol Vans and Lorries.

10th June 1909, Page 2
10th June 1909
Page 2
Page 2, 10th June 1909 — Petrol Vans and Lorries.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

It is in the internal-combustion division that orders are now coming with comparative freeness. We use a word of relative import, since all know how seldom it is in commercial motoring that a buyer enters a sale-room to press his order and his cheque upon those who are sitting at the receipt of custom. The good salesman, so long as he have a sound machine to offer, still counts for much. There has been, we are glad to be able to record, a distinct upward tendency during the present year, and none can gainsay the assertion that the change is both wanted and welcome. Several makers are unable to give delivery for three months: three, at least, to the writer's personal knowledge, are about 50 per cent, to the good on last year's orders at the same date; genuine and substantial

enquiries are in hand to an unparalled extent; indents from the Colonies and abroad are more numerous; repeat orders from customers who came on the books in 1905 and 1906 are guarantees of real worth; an atmosphere of activity has replaced one of doubt: the Finance Bill is the only black spot," for it has caused both cancellations and postponements of orders, by reason of its inequitable selection of the petrol vehicle only. The one-ton van (and we are not going too far when we name the Lacre van first of all) began to make history bright for the petrol vehicle : this was a trifle more than four years ago. A unique success—since maintained-.-there, discreet borrowings of "points " from designers whose experience has been gained in relentless spheres of motorbus and steam-lorry work, and the publicity which this journal has helped to give to intentions and results, have since brought the petrol vehicle right to the front, and have already enabled it to challenge the five-ton steam lorry where long distances per day are essential. Thus, after only four years of the revival which followed the " dead " years due to the initial catastrophe of adapted pleasure cars (1899-1901), we see that success is possible, and that sufficient production is really needed to account largely—in several instances entirely—for the existence of some dozen factories, in comparison with a solitary manufacturer in 1901 (Milnes-Daimler). Again, no user of repute has " gone back " upon the petrol van or lorry, and that should count for a lot in the judgment of the observer who can be guided only by general effect. As to names of buyers, there is no need for us to take up space in these columns: we would refer readers to the conclusive announcements which appear on other pages, and we are content to add the names of Carter-Paterson, the Great Western Railway, Guinness, Lever, and Pickford as additional examples of discriminating purchasers on the large scale. They, surely, as much as Harrod, Maple, Shoolbred or Whiteley, deserve to have imitators, and are good enough to copy.

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