Latest B.M.C. Models Study the Driver

13th November 1959, Page 123

13th November 1959

Page 123

Page 123, 13th November 1959 — Latest B.M.C. Models Study the Driver

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ANNOUNCED simultaneously last Tuesday by Morris Commercial Cars, Ltd., and the Austin Motor 3o., Ltd., and on view for the first time t the Scottish Motor Show, which opens oday in Glasgow, is a new B.M.C. orward-control range of 2-, 3-, and 4-ton arries offering exceptional facilities for elivery work.

There is a new cab on all models and 6-in.-diameter wheels on the two smaller hassis. The new vehicles, which are flown as the 200, 304 and 404 models, :place the .existing forward-control Lustin and Morris vehicles of these ayload capacities, whilst the current ormal-control models remain unchanged. ientical vehicles, with the exception of /e radiator-grille design, are offered y the two manufacturers.

The most outstanding feature of the Inge is the highly functional F.G. owarcl-control cab designed by Morris ad fitted to all three models. It provides isy access to both the driver's and the assenger's seat, and extremely good .1-round vision. To simplify entry, the tb doors have been fitted at an angle n the rear quarters so that the door pening is behind the front wheels.

Wide Step The cab floor is level with the top of ie front tyres, and a wide, rubberirfaeed step is fitted mid-way between e ground and the floor of the cab. lush-fitting handles are incorporated in -e'. doors, and grab rails are provided i the .forward door pillars, " With this arrangement, the rear-hinged 'ors . fold back against the headboard the standard body, which is slightly tgled. to permit a wide opening and .uipped.With rubber buffers. When the iors. are open, they protrude less than in.. Outside the overall width of the

hide. • When the doors are closed, the driver 5 first-class vision for manteuvring in Verse as he can look back through the )sed, upwards-sliding door-window to get the same effect as is obtained by leaning out of the window of a normal cab. Additional vision to the rear is provided by a large flat glass screen in the centre of the cab back panel.

In the design of the all-steel cab, forward vision has also received much consideration and is outstanding by current standards. The deep one-piece windscreen is well wrapped-around at the quarters to the thin side pillars, which do not form the usual blind spots. Between each pillar and the leading edge of the door frame is a fixed, triangular quarter panel and a rectangular light which can be swivelled forward to act as an air scoop.

From the driver's seat of a 3-tonner with 164n.-diameter tyres it was found that a 6-ft. man could see the ground up to 8 ft. from the front bumper on the centre line of the vehicle.

To augment this view, toughened-glass panels are fitted below the normal windscreen at each of the front quarters. The panel on the driver's side is partially obscured by the box-section member which forms the windscreen sill, but the screens are useful for 'accurate location of the lorry when parking, and to spot children or' other small objects close to the front of the vehicle. If required, they can be replaced by steel plates or by ventilator units.

The cab, which is mounted on resilient rubber cones at four points, is cornprehensively equipped. The driver's seat is adjustable vertically and longitudinally, whilst the passenger's seat is fixed. Instruments are directly in front. of the driver in a dash panel, hooded to prevent reflection on the windscreen.

Two ventilation flaps are provided in the cab front panel, is large section of which, including the radiator grille, can be detached for access to The radiator after releasing two Dzus fasteners. The engine covers are undeisprayed with insulating material to reduce heatand noise within the cab, whilst another contribution to silence is made by the location of the Air-Maze intake air cleaner in a box under the passenger's seat.

The engine is farther forward in relation to the cab than in the previous Austin and Morris models. This brings the gearbox forward and allows a short, straight gear lever to be used in place of the long cranked control previously fitted to this gearbox on forward-control models.

Apart from the cab, the other major innovation for the new range is the use of 7.50-16 in. 8-ply tyres on the 3-ton model in place of 20-in, diameter equipment. They provide a loading height of 3 ft. 1+ in. for the laden vehicle when fitted with a standard body. The 2-tonner is equipped with 16-in. diameter tyres as before, whilst the 404 model has 7,00-20 10-ply tyres.

The 2-tanner has a 9-ft. 1-in, wheelbase providing a normal interior body length of 10 ft. 5 in. The 3and 4-tonners are both of 12-ft. 1-in, wheelbase carrying 14-ft. 3-in.-long bodies. All three vehicles use the established B.M.C.

four-cylindered oil engine developing 68 b.h.p. at 2,600 r.p.m. and 154 lb.-ft. torque, or the six-cylindered 4-litre petrol unit with outputs of 90 b.h.p. at 3,000 r.p.m. and 203 lb.-ft. torque at 1,000 r.p.m.

Four Speeds

With either engine a four-speed constant-mesh gearbox is fitted driven with an 11-in, diameter clutch. The gearbox has ratios of 6.061, 3.473, 1.746 and 1 to 1 in the forward gears and 6.051 to 1 in reverse. All models have new, more robust, fully floating spiralbevel rear axles.

One final-drive ratio of 4.585 to 1 is offered with the 2-tonner. The 3-tonner is supplied with a standard ratio of 4.585 to 1, or with an alternative ratio of 5.714 to 1. The standard reduction on the 4-tanner is 5.86 to 1 with alternatives of 6.67 to 1 and 4.71, to 1 for the petrolengined version only.

Chassis frames are conventional, with slight upsweep over the rear axle. Suspension is by semi-elliptic springs assisted by hydraulic dampers at the front axle. Cam and double-roller steering gear with a ratio of 18 to 1 actuated by an 18-in, diameter steering wheel is common to all models.

On the 3-tonner, which has 12-in, diameter brake, drums (because of the use of 16-in, wheels), a vacuum servo has been added to the Lockheed braking system. The linings at the front are 2+ in. wide and 3 in. wide at the rear, giving a total braking area of 220 sq. in.

This vehicle has been road tested by The Commercial Motor: the report will be published in next week's issue. The brakes were found to be effective and highly resistant to fade.