Gardner finds the going hard
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• Gardner's plans to reestablish itself in the UK heavy truck market have suffered another setback. Neither Seddon Atkinson, nor ERF will be fitting the long-awaited 231kW (310hp) version of its 12.7-litre 6LXDT engine, due to be launched at the Motor Show in October.
ERF has stated that it will not be fitting the engine, and, according to Oldham-based Seddon Atkinson, "at the moment, the Gardner does not play a part in our plans — even in its higher power rating."
Seddon states that while, for the moment, it has not given the uprated 6LXDT the thumbs-down, it will "not cast it aside and say we will never fit it". The final decision, however, is likely to rest with customer demand. As a result, Seddon Atkinson's soon-to-belaunched Strato heavy truck range will be sold with either Cummins or Perkins power units, but not Gardner.
The 231kW 6LXDT engine has at least found favour with Foden at Sandbach, which says that it will be taking the unit, although not for some time. It has yet to carry out type approval for a Foden with the 231kW Gardner, which, say sources within the company, is still a long way off.
Next door neighbour ERF is now firmly committed to Cummins with the recent fitting of the air-to-air, charge-cooled L10 in its EIO trucks.
The ERF/Cummins connection will also be strengthened further when the planned E8 range, powered by the chargecooled C-series engine, makes its debut.