LONDON'S LATEST TAXICAB.
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First Published Details of the New Citroen Taxicab which is Built Especially for the English Market.
✓hURING the past few weeks a ▪ number of very smart Citroen taxi cabs have been brought into service on the streets of London, and they have already attracted considerable interest. The British concessionnaires for these vehicles are Maxwell, Munson, Ltd., 2, Halkin Place, Belgrave Square, London, S.W.1.
With a view to obtaining full particulars regarding this new model we recently paid a visit to the showrooms of the company, where one of the vehicles was kindly placed at our disposal for examination and photographing The whole chassis is built in France and varies in certain details from the standard Citroen car, although the engine and gearbox are the same. The frame and axles are where the chief alterations have taken place in order to meet the regulations of Scotland Yard. The frame, for instance, is jumped up at the rear, whilst the rear axle, which is of the semi-floating type with a vertical banjo casing of pressed steel, gives a final drive gear ratio of 5.5 to 1. The front. axle is so arranged that a very large wheel lock is possible, so that the vehicle can turn• round in quite narrow roads.
The engine is the standard 11.4 h.p. type. It is formed as a unit with the clutch and gearbox. It has four cylinders cast en bloc and provided with a detachable head. The valves are inter-. changeable and are all at one side, whilst the adjustable tappets are enclosed by an easily reingvable cover. Phosphor-bronze big-end bearings are provided for the connecting rods, whilst the gudgeon pins are secured in the small ends. Two bronze bearings of ample length are utilized for the crankshaft, whilst the camshaft is of the twobearing type and is driven by spur gearing from the timing case. Aluminium is used for both halves of the crankcase.
A single-disc clutch of sheet steel with double Ferodo friction surfaces provides for smooth engagement. The gearbox gives three forward speeds and a reverse. It is of the sliding-pinion type with direct drive on top speed. The selective mechanism for the change-speed lever is entirely enclosed, the lever having a ball movement and being fitted centrally in the chassis. A somewhat novel feature here is the provision of a strong sheet-steel guard for both this lever and for that of the hand brake. This is to prevent any jamming of the levers through movement of the, luggage which may be carried at the side of the driver. At the back of the gearbox is a ribbed drum in which are expanding shoes faced with Ferodo.
The drive from the gearbox to the rear axle is via a tubular cardan shaft with fabric-disc flexible couplings. Tbe quietness of the final drive is ensured by the use of spiral bevels, and the bevel pinion shaft, differential and axle shafts are all mounted on ball bearings, those at the wheel ends being of the Skefito double-row, self-aligning type. The hand brake operates direct on the rear wheels through a compensating device. The shoes in this case are also of the internal-expanding type. Steel disc wheels are fitted all round. and a spare wheel is carried on the offside running board. Michelin cable tyres, 815 mm. by 105 mm., are fitted as standard, three being rubber non. skids and two steel studded.• The springing of this interesting chassis is exceedingly good and is unusual in taxicab work. For the front axle there is a single quarter-elliptic leaf spring at each-side, whilst at the rear are two pairs of similar springs, each pair being arranged with one spring mounted immediately above the other, the rear ends being hinged to the top and bottom of the rear-axle casing respectively.
Steering is, of course, at the right. The driver's seat is comfortably upholstered, whilst he is protected by a single glass windscreen and a second wood screen fitted at an angle from the canopy. There is also a narrow rain shield running along the driver's side of the canopy.
The body is English built by Dyer and Holton, of-Effra Road, Brixton, London, S.W.2. It incorporates the latest features and is most comfortably upholstered. The vehicle is, of course, licensed for four persons, and has two fold-down seats facing the back seats. The body is panelled in aluminium and fitted with a scuttle dash. On the near-side platform is a large toolbox suitable for carrying the jack.. fire
extinguisher, etc. The painting is in plain colours to choice, with black mouldings and fine-lined if required, whilst the upholstery is in dark blue or dark green leather with laces to match The meter is carried in the usual posi• tion and is of Heide make, driven from the near-side front wheel. It is illuminated by an electric lamp. Incidentally, the vehicle is equipped with electric lighting and starting, and is provided with combined electric and oil side lamps. Included in the electric equipment is a 50 ampere-hour accumulator in, a container fitted inside the chassis frame. The dynamo is mounted to the left of the engine ,and is direct-driven through a flexible coupling, whilst the starter motor is at the right side of the gearbox and provided with the usual, 'Bendix drive. In addition, there is an electric born fitted under the bonnet and operated by a button switch at the centre of the steering wheel. .
There are one or two points about the chassis to which we have not already referred. For instance, the lubricating oil for the engine is circulated by means of a rotary pump in the base chamber, a sight-feed indicator being fitted in the facia hoard.
The cooling is tbermo-siphonic, the radiator being of the gilled-tube type, cooling being assisted by an aluminium fan with an eccentric spindle to provide for adjustments of the belt. Ignition is by high-tension R.B. magneto.
The steering is of substantial worm and sector type, the steering wheel itself being made of aluminium with a wooden rim. The whole gives remarkably easy control.
The petrol tank is situated under the driver's seat. This has a capacity of four gallons of petrol, the fuel being. gravity fed to a vertical-type Solex carburetter situated at the left side of the engine, the throttle for which is controlled entirely by the accelerator pedal. The ignition is fixed, so that the controls have been simplified to the maximum extent possible.
Great care has been taken in the matter of lubrication of other parts besides the engine. Grease cups are fitted wherever there is likely to he friction, whilst the front-wheel bearings are lubricated by filling the hub caps with grease. Incidentally, the hubs are mounted on ball bearings, whilst the rear hubs are, of course, keyed to the axle shafts, as the rear axle is of the semi-floating type. • The facia board is of aluminium, and on it is carried the amperemeter, the usual switches, and the oil indicator to which wehave already referred.
The following dimensions will be of interest: bore and stroke of engine, 68 ram. and 100 mm. respectively; wheelbase, 8 ft. 11 ins. ; track, 4 ft. 8 ins.
Quite a number of these vehicles are already on the streets or in the hands of the coachbuilders, and the company is willing to arrange for drivers to have their Scotland Yard tests carried out on one of their cabs at any time without involving the necessity for making a purchase. The cash price of the complete vehicle is £575, and payment by instalments can be arranged. •