Commercial Vehicles Su] ne at the Brussels Show
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THE Salon de Bruxelles, which opened last Saturday and closes next Wednesday, is exceptionally large this year and commercial vehicles account for two-thirds of its size. Business in Belgium has been on the up-grade for the past 12 months, and particularly so in heavy industries, a state of affairs that is reflected in the present fine exhibition.
When depression came to Belgium the show suffered an eclipse for some time and was made a biennial event. After moving to its new home last year, in splendid buildings left over from the International Exhibitibn, the show proved such a success that the organizing committee decided, at once, to put it back on an annual basis. Since then conditions appear steadily to have improved and the present Salon is one of which Belgium may well be proud.
Home Industry's Brave Show.
The Belgian commercial-vehicle market is important, as Germany and the United States are well aware, but, although the products of these two countries occupy a large amout of space in the present show, the Belgian National industry manages to hold its own fairly well with a sturdy display by Brossel, Miesse, Bovy-Pipe, P.N. and other makers, including ImperiaMinerva. Although the last-mentioned concern has been partially Germanized, it must still be regarded as Belgian.
One of the most striking facts demonstrated in the Salon is the rapid expansion of coach business and the efficient manner in which Belgian coachbuilders are dealing with it. If a large proportion of chassis be imported into the country, bodies are not, and, in the matter of bodybuilding, the Belgian is second to none (writes a Continental correspondent). Commercial-vehicle exhibits occupy two large buildings on each side of the main hall, which houses the privatecar show.
Bussing-N.A.G., which has obtained an astonishing grip on the market during recent years, seems, at first glance, to have taken most of the space in both halls, but that is an illusion, due to the •fact that the products are so massive.
On closer inspection, one finds that 18 American concerns, together occupy even more space, whilst British, German, French, Swiss, Danish and Belgian makers have the rest.
In the British section, Cornmers appear for the, first time and arouse a good deal of interest. Morris-Commercials are well displayed in all models, The Morris Belgian concern has gone ahead well and, although American competition is keen, the company is coping with matters by doing a great deal of assembly in the country.
Turning to the Belgian National industry, Miesse is again well to the fore with a fine range of big oiler Municipal vehicles are seldom much in evidence at the Belgian exhibition, but there are a few good examples this year. Minerva display an efficientlooking fire-escape machine. BovyPipe has a gully-emptier and Michel et Minei show a fine ambulance based on a Minerva chassis. It is a two-stretcher outfit, with the•Spurling patent loading and evacuating arrangement for the stretchers. The body is exceptionally roomy and contains a comfortable leather armchair, a table and a folding seat for the attendant.
An attraction among the vast Bussing-N.A.G. display is a cleverly sectioned model of one of the largest oil engines. The unit is placed on its side for convenience of inspection and shown in movement.
Big Oiler for Passenger Work.
The new Imperia 10-ton oil-engined chassis is of interest. It has a sixcylindered engine, with the cylinders ca.st in pairs, and employs the GanzJendrassik injection system under licence. This system incorporates a small inclined cylindrical ante-chamber and a flat-topped piston provided with a small baffle on the edge opposed to the ante-chamber.
The engine is offset in the chassis, but transmission is centralized from the gearbox to the rear axle. A feature to he noted is the exceptionally large transmission brake mounted immediately forward of the rear-axle casing. This chassis is designed for fast passenger work.
A larger proportion than usual of light delivery vans is to be seen this year and some of them are praiseworthy.
Imperia-Minerva has developed a neat little 10-cwt. outfit, with a shortwheelbase forward-control chassis. This concern also shows several attractive light vans based on four wheel drive chassis, Which are built under Adler licence.
Three-wheeled parcelcars are 'fairly numerous, one of the most promising being the Goliath, which hails from Germany. This has a horizontal twincylindered two-stroke engine with positive air-cooling, air being forced through a cast-aluminium jacketing from fans disposed at each end of the engine.
Another two-stroke three-wheeler is the Danish Tempo, which has a 400 c.c. water-cooled engine driving the front wheel. The Tempo concern also exhibits a curious light army tractor with four seats. This machine has two
separate engines mounted fore and aft, with synchronized control, each driving an axle.
Many excellent little parcelcars are shown in the motorcycle section, one which calls for comment being the Fast Lady [sic]. Made by the well-known Antwerp concern, Lady Motorcycles, it is a well-produced machine with a specially roomy box and complete weather protection for engine and transmission, which are, nevertheless, quite accessible.
Willemes, of Antwerp, have specialized this year in big coaches, mostly with Jonckheers .bodywork. All are oilers and one cannot help
referring again to the exceptionally high standatd now reached in Belgian commercial coachwork, The • bodies are splendidly finished and show great attention to detail. First-class visibility for the passengers and imposing appearance are characteristic of practically every passenger body in the show, and there are hundreds of them.
In the engine section, Eerkins has a fine range of products.
F.N. displays a new mediumpowered chassis for passenger work and Latil concentrates almost entirely upon gas-driven models, a surprisingly large range -being staged.