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o at least it has happened! ixteen years after the fateful )-called "amalgamation' of lose two longstanding rivals, ayland has completed its -adual killing-off of AEC.
The closure of the Southall ctory has been merely noted in ke press as inevitable, along :ith the loss of nearly 3,000 ,bs, and the fact that little or no ffect should be felt by urchasers of the Marathon. ne would have thought that le loss of a formeriy very nportant manufacturer, warinted far more questioning. Those 16 years have seen the rhittling-down of AEC's once amprehensive range of bus nd truck chassis so that in 977 the last A E C lorry hassis was produced and this ear the last A E C • passenger hassis will be produced, in both ases without a satisfactory )placernent being provided for le thousands of long standing k EC customers throughout the rorld. Once again it has been ffectively demonstrated that arge does not mean best' and at in the long term it leads to nemployment and customer issatisfaction through lack of hoice and the inability for such large concern as British Leyid to produce the goods that ie customers require.
Instead of thrilling over the lerits of the various foreign bus nd lorry chassis available in
country, the demise of AEC lould be highlighted as one of le biggest losses that the bus nd lorry industry has suffered nce its formation. Goodbye EC and all who have worked )1you. We, your customers, ave appreciated all your efforts ver the years and will not forget 3u, even if Leyland prefers to! . PLATT, .xeter, Devon