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New Weights Could LW Italian Gloom

12th November 1965, Page 102
12th November 1965
Page 102
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Page 102, 12th November 1965 — New Weights Could LW Italian Gloom
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE overall impression gained at the Turin Show, which this year is restricted to goods vehicles, is one of depression. There is little in the way of new models and the main topic of conversation appears to be the continued poor state of the country's commercial vehicle industry. There has been some recovery in the past year from the bad situation reported at the last Turin Show, but production is still very much lower than it was in 1963. Figures quoted by the different manufacturers vary, but Fiat say that current sales are still only 50 per cent of what they were in 1963, whilst Lancia report that as against a general reduction of 40 per cent the sales of medium and heavy goods models are between 60 and 70 per cent lower than they were two years ago.

Production is reported to have improved by almost 12 per cent in the first nine months of this year compared with 1964, but some of this has gone in increased exports (15 per cent up on 1964). Registrations of new commercial vehicles are 22-5 per cent down on the same period last year and imports into Italy are 39 per cent down.

Three main reasons are given for the present state of affairs. First, there is a depression in the building industry because of a reduction in expenditure on roads construction and so on, and talk of nationalization of land is restricting investment in building. Second, there is a prospect of legislation affecting goods vehicle operation: full nationalization plans have been dropped, but I understand that " municipalization ", " regionalization '', or some other form of control is still possible. Finally, there is shortly to be a revision of the weight limits at which vehicles can operate, which at the moment is perhaps having the most effect on sales of new vehicles.

Whilst this last point makes things difficult now, it does give rise to the hope that when the new weights come in, they will provide the "shot in the arm " which the market seems to need so desperately.

It k now more than two years since the Italian Government started thinking about changing the weight limits, which are lower in Italy than in most other European countries. But like other government's, it has been waiting for the outcome of European Common Market discussions before making final decisions. Apparently this policy has now been changed. no doubt because of representations by the Italian vehicle industry,

and new regulations are due to come out early next year. These are almost certain to increase the maximum axle load to 13 tons from the present 10 tons and the limit for two-axle rigids from 14 tons to 19 tons. . For three-axle rigids the maximum weight will go from 18 tons to 26 tons and the maximum gross weight for tractor/trailer combinations and artie outfits will be 38 tons.

At present eight-wheelers can run at 22 tons gross, but it is unlikely that they will be allowed a higher figure than the sixwheelers and the changes will mean a reduction in the weight possible on a tractor/trailer combination. There is no actual legal limit now, so the practical limit is 44 tons—a four-axle tractor and a four-axle trailer running at their maximum of 22 tons each. But whereas five axles are needed to get to the present maximum of 32 tons for an artic, a four-axle attic will be allowed to operate at 38 tons.

Although the changes will obviously result in 601r-wheelers and four-axle trailers dropping out of the picture so far as new registrations are concerned after the laws are changed, many of these are featured on the stands of manufacturers at Turin. This is because combinations put into operation before the changes become effective will be allowed to operate at 44 tons gross for a period, so there will be a shortterm market for them.

The surprising thing at the Show is that the main vehicle manufacturers—Fiat, Lancia and 0114—are not exhibiting ranges of vehicles which will meet the probable new regulations.

Only ON1 is showing a 19-ton-gross four-wheeler, whilst 26-tongross six-wheelers are featured by Fiat and Lancia. But in the case of six-wheelers these can already be operated as truck mixers at 26 tons, so. this does not show. a great deal of inttiative.

The new Fiat model is the 693 N double-drive six-wheeler and when used with a trailer or semi-trailer it is suitable for operation at 38 tons•gross. The 639 N went into production about two months ago and has similar mechanical components to the Fiat 619 N 19-ton-gross four-wheeler introduced to the French market at the 1964 Paris Show. The engine is a Type 221 12-88-litre diesel, which 'gives a maximum gross. output of 226 h.h,p. at 1,900 r.p.m. 1210 b.h.o. net) and maximum gross torque of 662 /b. ft. at 900 r.p.rn. The drive is through a 13 in, iwin-plate clutch to a separately mounted, eight-speed synch ront..._-sh gearbox.. This incorporates a four-speed main section and two-speed auxiliary section, the .latter giving a 1.35 to 1 reduction and being actuated eleetro-pneumatically This mounting of the engine and . gearbox independently is a. common feature in Italian goods vehicles; the drive is takei. through a short propeller shaft between the two units.

of the 693 N shown by Fiat consist of two trucks with w1-11bases of 4-44 m, (14 ft. 7 in.) and a tractive unit with a wheelbase of 3-91 m. (12-ft. 10 in.) On other stands at Turin the model can be seen with tipper and dumper bodywork. in one case—an exhibit on the Calabrese stand-a special half cab is fitted, whilst on one of the outside stand areas there are a" row Of about a dozen shown 'by various companies with different makes of concrete-miker units.

Prices are given by Fiat for the models on their stand. The chassis cab version of the 693 N costs £4.600 and the exhibit with a steel drop-side body costs £4,750.

Changes made by Lancia . to the Esagamma range consist essentially of detail alterations to the 10.52.-litre, 207 b.h.p. diesel engine, such as the use of helical gears for the fuel pump and camshaft drive instead of a timing change: and modifications to the chassis components to bring the gross weight rating to 19 tons for the four-wheelers, 26 tons, for the six-wheelers and 38 tons for the tractive Unit models. The fourand six-wheelers are also rated for 38 tons when used with drawbar trailers.

With the changes, the model designation beccimes Esagamma E and a new 6 x 4 model has been added td the range. This is shown by Lancia as a bare chassis and other examples featured include two models with single-drive rear bogies. These are, in effect, third-axle conversions by LanCia using Fresia‘designed components. The trailing axle is located either in front of or behind the driving axle according to requirements and a chassis with each layout is shown. Both have air suspension for the trailing axle with leaf springs for the rest.

On the Esagamma E the gearbox is an eight-speed unit which is mounted independently of the engine with the drive from the clutch through a short propeller shaft.

The OM Titan° 190 Europa is a new model designed for 19 tons gross, or 38 tons gross with a drawbar trailer, and has the company's six-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine which it? produCes 260 b.h.p. gross at 2.200 r.p.m. The model is based on the previous Titano design and uses many of the mechanical components, including the eight-speed gearbox (four-speed mairt and two-speed auxiliary section). The frame, axles and suspension arc stronger to take care of the extra weight, but in spite of a 6-ton front-axle load, power-assisted steering is available only as an option.

Also new from OM is the Damn() 45. This has a payload capacity of 4-5 tons and is an uprated version of the previous model_ Mechanically, there is little change. but 7.50-20 tyres are used. With a 4-5-ton load the gross weight is less than the 8 tons, which is the point at which the maximum speed limit goes down to 80 k.p.h. (50 m.p.h.) from 100 k.p.h. (62-1 m.p.1-1,) for lighter vehicles.

It is likely that when the laws change, tractor/trailer combinations will be less popular in Italy than they are now because the extra gross load that is possible will be lost. But there will still be advantages because of the difficulty of designing a four-axle artic without overloading any one axle.

Viberti are showing a new 19-ton-gross drawbar trailer of very clean design which is based on the concern's 14-ton-gross design It is significant that a new tandem-axle semi-trailer is shown with a three-axle tractive unit as a 38-ton-gross outfit. Viberti say that because of the problem of ensuring correct axle loadings it is unlikely that tandem-axle semi-trailers will be operated with four-wheel tractive units at 38 tons gross.

The most striking thing about the trailer and semi-trailer exhibits at the Turin Show is in the variety of axle arrangements used, which is the same as on previous occasions. There are two-, threeand four-axle drawbar trailers, some of the latter with two axles at each end, others with one at the front and three at the rear, and others with one at the front, two in the middle and one at the rear. in the case of semi-trailers, generally the three-axle models have the axles evenly spaced at the rear, but on a Bartoletti design the forward two axles are about 13 ft. in front of the rearmost .axle. This is mounted on a turntable and steered by a cable-and-rod linkage to a turntable in which the kingpin is located. The kingpin turntable has a bracket on its underside which locates in the vee of the fifth-wheel turntable on the tractive unit.

On most multi-axle semi-trailers (and this includes tandems) only one axle is normally fixed. the others being either steered E R

like the Bartoletti or self-tracking. The normal self-tracking systems have steered-type axles but with a considerable amount of castor action. Damping is incorporated between the track rod and axle beams; to overcome difficulties in reversing, the track rod can usually be locked by an air-powered device.

Trailer makers exhibiting models with self-tracking ,wheels include Bartoletti, Giglioli, Cardi, Piacenza, Adige and Viberti. The same design is used for axles added to standaard vehicle models to make them into eight-wheelers. Examples are shown by SIAM, .Zorzi, Battaglino, OMT, Romanazzi and Viberti. Fresia use a design for vehicle conversions in which the axle tracks, this being mounted in a member to which the springs are fixed.

Small wheels-15 in or 16 in.—appear to be becoming more popular in Italy and as well as their use on trailers and semitrailers shown by Viberti and subsidiary company Adige, a new semi-drop-frame semi-trailer exhibited by Bertoja has three axles with 16 in. wheels. Twin tyres are fitted to the forward two axles and there are singles at the rear which are selftracking. Another new model shown by Bertoja is a drop-frame drawbar trailer with twin-oscillating axles at the front and rear.

V. Orlandi use only direct-steered wheels for the trailer and semi-trailer models and chassis conversions shown at Turin. On a six-wheel conversion of a Lancia Esadelta B the additional rear axle is steered by a linkage to the front-axle steering; on a tandem-axle semi-trailer the rearmost wheels are steered by a linkage to the kingpin, whilst on a new two-axle drawbar-trailer design both front and rear axles are steered from a connection to the drawbar frame.

Orlandi have a model on the stand which illustrates the need in Italy to reduce trailer cut-in by having steering wheels. Models of a tractor/trailer combination and an artic run round a track which is marked with lines representing the inner and outer turning radii which have to be conformed with. Italian law in this respect is more strict than in Germany, where there is a similar regulation. In Italy the maximum dimension for the outer swept radius is 14-5 m. and the minimum inner radius is 10 m., whilst in Germany the figures are 12 m. and 5-5 m., respectively.

Although called an international show, Turin can claim this distinction only for the car section. In the mediumand heavygoods categories the only foreign vehicles exhibited are AEC, Bedford and Scammell from the UK, Unic from France and Magirus Deutz from Germany. Other British makers present are Ford and Land-Royer and, as already reported in The Commercial Motor, Murfitt Bulk Transporters Ltd. have a body on show with their moving bulkhead system.

Of the British companies, AEC are taking the biggest part with a Marshal 6 x 4 and a Mandator tractive unit, both to the latest designs with tilt cabs. There are two Scammell Scarab three-wheel tractive units and a semi-trailer on the Leyland Group stand, whilst both Ford and' Bedford appear with vehicles from the German-based companies, of their American parents.

It is suprising to see the old Thames 15 cwt. on the Ford stand, but then there could be confusion with the German Ford van of similar size called the Taunus Transit if the latest model were shown! Bedfords on show consist of an HA, a CA• van and a TK truck.

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Locations: Turin

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