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British Heavies shun Brussels Show

13th January 1961
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Page 82, 13th January 1961 — British Heavies shun Brussels Show
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Absence of British Heavy-vehicle Exhibits at 41st Brussels Motor Show : Leyland Group Vehicles to be Displayed, However, and Light and Medium Models will be Well Represented By John F. Moon,

A.M.1.R.T.E.

THERE would appear to have been a certain amount of confusion amongst British and Continental heavyvehicle manufacturers with regard to exhibition at the 41st Brussels Salon de l'Automobile, which, as reported last week, is due to be opened on Wednesday. Apparently some semi-official agreement was reached between importers of heavy vehicles that they would not participate in this year's exhibition, preferring to devote the money that would be involved to other publicity purposes.

As a result, although British lightand medium-weight vehicles are to be well represented at Brussels, the only British heavies will belong to the Leyland Group. Certain other British heavy manufacturers would definitely have been represented had the initial confusion not arisen, but as it is Continental makers can be expected to dominate the field.

The Leyland Group exhibits, featured as usual by Brossel, will consist of two passenger chassis and two goods models, with a further two Belgian-bodied buses on Worldmaster chassis. One of the passenger-vehicle exhibits will be a Worldmaster lefthand-drive chassis, a feature of which is the incorporation of leaf-air suspension at both axles.

Other novelties about this chassis, which has a wheelbase of 18 ft., are the use of an 0.600 engine—instead of the 0.680 unit more normally used in the Worldmaster—and the installation of non-standard power-assisted steering, similar to that previously fitted to Leyland chassis built for service in Oslo.

The Worldmaster has a PneumoCyclic semi-automatic gearbox, and the suspension system consists of two double-convolution bellows assisting the leaf springs at the front axle and four double-convolution bellows supplementing the rear-axle leaf springs. Dampers are incorporated at both axles.

A Leopard underfloor engined chassis will be the other passenger exhibit, and this too is a left-handdrive model, its wheelbase being 16 ft. 2 in. The Leopard—although a relatively recent introduction to the Leyland passenger range—is already starting to prove popular overseas, and 36 have been shipped to Finland and 30 to Australia in addition to more than 200 ordered by British operators.

The Brussels exhibit has the standard 0.600 horizontal oil engine, with fourspeed synchromesh gearbox; and is fitted with 9.00 by 20-in. (12-ply) tyre equipment. The low unladen chassis weight of this design-4 tons 81 cwt.— should be of particular appeal to Continental operators.

Both the Leyland goods-vehicle exhibits are basically Albion models. They consist of a Leyland Meteoor 12-ton-gross four-wheeler and one of the latest Reiver six-wheelers. The Meteoor was introduced at the 1960 Brussels Salon and is assembled in Holland by Leyland-Holland, N.V. It is basically a long-wheelbase Albion Chieftain, with heavy-duty chassis frame and Leyland 0.375 oil engine and, like the Reiver and the latest Leyland Power-Plus heavy-goods models, has a cab with entrance steps ahead of the front wheels.

The Reiver exhibit is similar to the model road tested by The Commercial Motor (September 16, 1960), and has the Leyland 0.400 oil engine and nonreactive, double-drive rear bogie.

Turning to the lighter exhibits, the r Austin exhibits promise to be

particularly comprehensive, ranging from a Seven -}-ton van to a forwardcontrol 7-tonner. The Austin models will be shown by Sogida, S.A. and include two of the new models introduced at last year's London Commercial Motor Show, these being a 152 Omnivan with double side-loading doors and a 10-12-cwt. van.

Other Austin vehicles will include a short-wheelbase Gipsy 4 x 4 with tilt top, and a normal-control 3-tonner. Models from the intermediate-weight range will .comprise representative F.G.s, whilst the top end of the range will be marked by• forward-control 5and 7-tonners.

Eleven Bedford models are to be shown on the General Motors Continental stand, including five examples from the new TK range. The lightest exhibit will be a CALV long-wheelbase 10-12-cwt. van. and there are to be two petrol-engined 3tonners: one a Jtype normal-control model with cab, and the other a KC forward-control chassis.

Two J-type normal-control chassis will be featured, these being 4and 6 t o n oil engined .

models, whilst the remaining J-type is to be an oil-engined 7-ton tipper. The four other TK models all have oil engines, and the exhibits consist of 6-, 7and 71-ton chassis and a 12-ft. 7-in.wheelbase 7-ton lorry. The remaining exhibit will be an SB3A petrol-engined coach.

Rootes (Belgique), S.A., are to show 11 Commers and two Karriers—an impressive display. The smallest Commer is a Cob van, and next in line to it comes an Express van. Five of the new 4-ton models will be shown, these being a petrol-engined van, an oil-engined pick-up, and petrol-engined 12-seat bus, caravan and mobile shop. A 11-ton van will be there, and also two 6-tonners, one of which is a Superpoise normal-control chassis and cab, the other being a forwardcontrol model with Perkins oil engine. The Rootes two-stroke engine is to be featured in a 7-ton forward-control chassis and cab exhibit. The Karrier models will consist of a Bantam and a Gamecock, both in chassis-cab form.

British Ford exhibits also will make an impressive display, nine Thames

Traders to be exhibited, ranging in payload capacity from 2 to 71 tons. There will also be two 5-cwt, vans and three 15-cwt. models, one of which will be as a chassis and cab, one as a complete van with side loading door, and the other as an 8/10-seat estate car.

Four Land-Rovers are to be shown. two of which are long-wheelbase models. These consist of a station wagon and a truck, whilst the shortwheelbase examples include a version fitted with snow-ploughing equipment. The Nuffield distributors in Brussels, Ets. P. Decrose, S.A., are showing 11 Morris commercial-vehicle exhibits, the smallest of which is a Mini-Van 5-cwt. model. Another 5-cwt. van for display is that based on the Morris Minor 1000 car, whilst one of the new J.4 10/12-cwt. forward-control vans will also be shown.

Two 1.2s are to be displayed, one a Minibus and the other a 16/18-cwt. side-loading van. Two other vans are to be there, one of which is an LD, the other a forward control 2tonner. A single F.G. model is to be shown, this being a 4-ton oil-engined example, whilst the forward-control range is completed by a 5-ton oiler and two 7-tonners, one of which is a shortwheelbase chassis.

Standard-Triumph, S.A., are to show twoAtlas vehicles, both of which have the Standard 948 c.c. petrol engine. One of these will be displayed as a standard van, the other as an ambulance with Belgian bodywork.

Power units form an important section of British automotive exports, and in this respect Perkins are to be well represented on the stand of Ets. Hunter and Co., s.p.r.l. These engine exhibits will include a Four 203 four-cylindered unit, as fitted by Chrysler, and a Four

99 1.6-litre engine. More powerful Perkins engines on display will be the new direct-injection Six 354 and the indirect-injection Six 305.

Tags

People: John F. Moon, Commer
Locations: Austin, Brussels, Oslo

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