Prototype ambulance
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It is indeed interesting to see the introduction of a new prototype ambulance with the London Ambulance Service (CM February 2 and 9) something that has been called for ever since the purpose-built Daimler left the streets of London.
Seriously ill patients have long suffered the inferior ride of the standard LD type van chassis used in the interim period between the demise of the Daimler to the present prototype. The increased headroom, lower loading height of the new model are of course both attributes afforded by front-wheeldrive.
But why is it that it has taken so long to put such an ambulance into operation in this country? After all, Peugeot, although of French origin, have produced this type of chassis since the war years. And then why buy from France (although a fellow member of the EEC), when we have had a British manufacturer who originally produced a front wheel-drive chassis in 1960. This was the Dennis Vendor, which led the field and later developed into the FD4 ambulance of 1968 with all the main developments of the present Sovam model.
Dennis Brothers have specialized as ambulance manufacturers for many years now, longer than anyone else in fact. I suppose inevitably one must put it down to the typically British conservatism in matters such as these, when many designs ahead of their time have been ignored, until proved to the contrary, as indeed is the case now on the Continent with many light commercials.
C. R. SALAIVIAN, Chairman, Commercial Vehicle and Road Transport Club, Tunbridge Wells, Kent.