Lessons From a Study_ of German . Design.
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AVING had time to think over the differences between British and German commercialvehicle design, we have come to the conclusion that the .progress made in Germany has been so rapid that our makers would do well to keep a searching eye on current and further developments.
We believe that the British-built vehicle can now more than hold its own with any other of equivalent type and cost throughout the world, but other countries are not standing idle; all are putting forward strong efforts to produce chassis which will satisfactorily compete with ours in the home markets and abroad.
Several of the latest German models embody extremely interesting and often practical features, and the foresight of the makers is shown by the success which they have obtained with the low
framed bus and the rigid six-wheeler, and it no doubt surprised many of our readers to learn from our article on .German design, contained in our issue of last week, that nearly 500 rigid sixwheelers of one Make alone are in active operation in Germany, Sweden and other countries, and that even this type will shortly be relegated to the carrying of goods only, because an improved model (which we also described) has been designed.
-In one direction the Germans are far in advance of us, and that is in the employment of light, strong metals, such as duralumin, electron and other light alloys, thereby saving an enormous amount of weight. Even for light vehicles there are Budge-Whitworth disc wheels in duralumin. We Inspected a pair of rear wheels for a 5-ton lorry. These weighed 90 lb. each, made in a metal called silurnin, against 350 lb. in steel.
It is fully realized in Germany that to compete In the British markets only first-class products will have any chance of attaining success, for the days of low-priced German products are over.