Amsterdam show report by Graham Montgomerie Pictures by Dick Ross
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EXTENSIONS to the Club of Four ranges from DAF and Volvo and news of a "Leyland for Europe" campaign are the main items of interest from this year's commercial vehicle show at Amsterdam.
Held at the RAI exhibition centre, the show is one of the most important in the European calendar and, as such, is well supported by the major world manufacturers.
Leyland's big news is that the European network is being extended. The network in Western Europe now covers 14 countries with 300 service points including about 50 in West Germany.
The big news from Volvo concerns an extension to the Club of Four range and a new -environmental" diesel engine. All the manufacturers involved in the original consortium now seem anxious to deny its origins and Volvo is no exception. Thus the medium range of lorries is very definitely in the Volvo "F" range.
Aimed at the non-hgv market, the F408 has a gvw of 7.5 tonnes while at the other end of the medium range the F614 has been added. This has a gross weight capability of 13.5 tonnes when used as a solo rigid and 25 tonnes in drawbar form. Previously the "F" range has used the same five-speed gearbox as the other Club vehicles but, for this new application, the transmission specification has been beefed up with a six-speed box, a heavy-duty propshaft and an uprated final drive with a ratio of 5.57 to 1.
Since the introduction of the medium range, Volvo has done very well in this category — in 1977 for example, 4,000 were registered. At the Volvo press conference, Bertil Krook, vicepresident of marketing, came up with some interesting operational statistics for local delivery vehicles in the Club category. For example, on average the vehicle covers 1,500m (approx 1,600 yards) between drops, 860m (940 yards) between traffic stops and averages 33kmi h (20mph) during the working day, The new engine has been designated the TD40 and, as Volvo put it, is an "extension downwards" of the Volvo diesel engine programme which now comprises engines with designations of 40, 60, 70, 100 and 120 which represent the approximate displacement.
They are all turbocharged inline six-cylinder units, The TD40 has been designed as a high-output low emissions engine for the city delivery machine. It is an indirect injection engine using the Ricardo Comet type of pre-combustion chamber. From a capacity of 3.6 litres (220cuin) the TD40 develops 88kW (120bhp) gross at 3,600rpm with a maximum torque figure of 270Nm (200Ibft) at 2,000rpm.
The complete engine weighs only 380kg (8381b) which Volvo claims will allow a greater utilisation of the front axle for payload. A larger (305mm or 12in) clutch is coupled to the new engine while the cylinder liners are of the wet type.
Although the pistons are oilcooled, the system is rather more comprehensive than the usual spray directed on to the underside of the crown. On the TD40, a jet sprays up to the crown and into a "'cocktail shaker" type chamber which circulates the oil inside the crown before returning it to the sump.
Many operators have never been entirely convinced as to the merits of turbocharged engines for local delivery work, but Volvo argues that a high output is required as many of the vehicles have high-drag box bodies and the turbocharging also gives a more efficient combustion and hence a cleaner exhaust.
Although the Volvo Fl 0 and F12 heavy range is a familiar sight on the roads of Europe, the Terberg version is a newcomer to the Dutch market. Automobielfabriek Terberg Benschop BV has long been a specialist builder of heavy-duty vehicles using primarily Volvo and Mercedes-Benz components.
This year the company has had the new Volvo range to work on and one of the results is the F1850 which would be called an F10 eight-wheeler if Gothenburg had built it. The show model features Rydewell suspension and super singles on the rear bogie.
The 1978 RAI show sees the 50th anniversary of DAF Trucks and the occasion was marked with the addition of some new models. At the heavy end of the market, the new eight-wheeler has a design gross weight limit of 34.2 tonnes and is aimed at the concrete mixer market being suitable for mixers of up to 9cum (11.8cuyd) capacity.
Designated the FAD 2805, the new machine can be specified with the DKTD or the higher power DKS version of the familiar DAF 11.6-litre (708cuin) engine. The twin front axles are rated at 13 tonnes with 11.00X 20 tyres or 14.2 tonnes with 12.00 x 20 tyres while the rear bogie is plated at 20 tonnes.
For the Dutch market a minimum bogie spread of 2m (6ft 7in) is required for 20 tonnes, otherwise the loading is restricted to 16 tonnes. The chassis-cab weight of the DKTD powered version is 8.95 tonnes leaving around 25.3 tonnes for bodywork and payload.
The Eindhoven version of the Club of Four range has also been extended to include the 1300 and 1500 models which are intended to replace the nonClub 1200 and 1400 series. The 1300 has a gvw of 11.8 tonnes while the 1 500 is plated at 14 tonnes. Four different wheelbases are available for each model while the 1 500Series also includes a special tractive unit chassis with a wheelbase of 2.85m (9ft 4in).
Depending on operator choice, the new Club DAFs can be fitted with a naturally aspirated or turbocharged version of the 615 series engine developing 85 and 113kW (114 or 153bhp) respectively.
Although the vehicles are in tended in the main as solo rigids, they can be operated in drawbar form at 22 tonnes gtw for the naturally aspirated version and 25 tonnes for the tubocharged.
The difference in gvw between the 1300 and 1500 variants is catered for by the tyre sizes and also the choice of springs and rear axle. The 1300 uses the 1635 axle and the 1500 the 1835 axle. The principal difference is that the axle housing of the 1835 has been reinforced to increase the load capacity.
On the cosmetic front, DAF cabs will now show the model number and the specification. Thus the 2800 DKS now has a '2800 Turbo Intercooling'' badge.
Built along similar lines to the Ridge-Back conversion carried out by Glover-Hamble on a Mercedes chassis, DAF has designed a backbone chassis with the normal twin-rail frame replaced by a single member from about 850mm (33in) behind the cab. The air tanks, batteries and fuel tank are grouped together immediately behind the cab while the brake pipes and electrical wiring are routed under the central member. Using the F2000 chassis as a base, the conversion adds 100kg (220Ib) to the chassis weight.
Leyland is at Amsterdam in force with the new Super G cab on the Mastiff, Boxer and Terrier range described elsewhere in this issue. The Marathon 2 is making its
-nsterdam debut with a iecification which includes ani dampers instead of Armrongs and Bostrom 303 susmsion seats for both the driver id the mate. As far as the Jropean market is concerned,
e TL12 Leyland engine is the ily option.
British Leyland's overseas
Iles amounted to £560m in 972 and represented 44 per )nt of the corporation's total ties of £1,281m. I learn that y 1976 overseas sales had :ached £1,576m — 55 per ?,nt of its total £2,892m. In the 3me period, truck, bus and and-Rover sales rose from 5,000 units in 1972 to 6,000 units in 1976 — an
npressive 52 per cent increase. Mehaco, the Dutch importer
f the complete Mercedes-Benz 3nge, is showing an economy ersion of the V8 powered traclye unit. I say "economybeause the maximum revs of the ,ngine have been cut back from !,500 to 2,300 at which speed 77kW (240bhp) is produced. -hus the model designation is ilso changed from 1626 to 1624. The RAI exhibit is fitted vith a Mercedes designed wind ieflector on the cab roof. The 1624 is plated for operation at 36.5 tonnes.
A recent addition to the Dutch Mercedes-Benz market is he availability of an an automatic transmission for the Dusseldorf Transporter range.
ERF vehicles are sold in Hol1and by a distributor with the splendid company title of BestTruck which has three Sandbach built machines on the stand including a sleeper cab three-axle tractive unit which is fitted with the new ERF nonreactive rear suspension system — seen here for the first time outside the UK.
The Spanish Pegaso has been marketed in Holland for sometime but it is now available with a tilt cab. The prototype version was first seen at the Brussels show last year but the production version is only now coming on to the market. It actually made its debut in final form in Mexico a few weeks ago but, as far as Europe is concerned, the RAI is a "first".
The Dutch market is a very valuable one because of the vast volume of traffic travelling from the ports into Europe. At the present time road transport accounts for some 84 per cent of Dutch traffic with around 12 per cent being carried by barges on the inland waterway system.
At the moment DAF is the market leader (as you would probably expect) in the over-16ton category with about 34 per cent of the market and second is Scania with 25 per cent. The Swedish company has uprated the naturally aspirated D8 from 108 to 120kW (145 to 161 bhp) and this is shown installed in an LB81.
An ,LB 111 has been used to illustrate the extent of the bolton goodies" which are available. The list includes shock absorbers on both axles, air conditioning, air horn, steering lock, fog lights, parabolic springs, sun visor, air deflectors, radio/ cassette player and an anti-roll bar on the front axle.
I was talking of the Scania market share a moment ago. As a matter of interest, the over16-ton market in Holland is dominated by four makes — DAF, Scania, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo in that order, Bet
ween them they account for well over 80 per cent of the total sales.
Scanias for Holland and the rest of the original Common Market "Six" are not built at SOdertalje but at the Zwolle factory of Scania Nederland By. Employing around 800 people, the factory assembles the complete Scania range and not just from sub-assemblies but from the nuts and bolts up.
The regulations surrounding the use of rigids for mixer and off-road dumper work produce some interesting variations in how many axles to use and where to put them.
The FTF vehicle range from Floor's Handel en Industrie BV includes a five-axle rigid with a design off-highway gross weight of between 39 and 45 tonnes depending on the final specification.
The show model — designated the F-8.8.30DS — features a 6V-71 Detroit Diesel two-stroke engine and a 13speed Fuller box. Basically this 10x4 is an 8 x 4 with a lifting axle added at the back_
This adding an axle has also been tried by Mack but in a different configuration. In this case a 6 X 6 bonnetted dumper has had a fourth axle added immediately in front of the double-drive bogie. The bogie is a massive two-spring design while the -extraaxle uses air suspension.
The 6856 S Mack is at the RAI with a special widespread bogie to clear the two-metre minimum. With a design gross weight of 29.4 tonnes the Mack has a potential payload capacity of nearly 20 tonnes.
As usual for a European show, IVECO is there in force although the seemingly endless permutation of engines, axles, cabs, etc, between the various member companies seems to have come to a temporary halt.
The "Z"' range of light/ medium vehicles is available in 12 basic model forms giving over 130 different versions and a fair cross-section can be seen at the RAI.
A fortnight ago Chrysler launched the 300-Series on to the Dutch market so, not surprisingly, this top-weight Dodge model is well represented at the RAI with tractive unit and rigid versions.
At the other end of the Chrysler scale the Simca 1100 is seen in standard. High-Top and High-High-Top form. This latter model is a factory conversion of the normal High-Top van and is carried out by popriveting a glass-fibre -bath tub" on to the metal body.
In spite of the intention of Chrysler Europe to promote the Dodge image as a united front, the Simca van will continue to be marketed in Holland as a Simca. (In the UK it has a Dodge badge.) An interesting electrically powered version of the old Volkswagen one-tonner is displayed by the Dutch agent, Pon's Automobielhandel BV. The motor is slung behind the rear axle replacing the familiar flat-four air-cooled petrol en gine. The batteries are housed in a sliding tray below the load platform. At the present state of development, the VW has a top speed of 70km/ h (43mph) and a working range between charges of between 50 and 80km (31 and 50 miles) depending on the level of performance used.
The current LT range is due to be extended in late August by the addition of LT 40 and 45 models. The type numbers refer to the gross weights so eventually the LT range will extend from 2.8 to 4.5 tonnes.
The latest news on the VW/MAN front is that the new range is expected by about mid 1979. To be built at the VW plant at Hanover, the vehicles will utilise engines and frames from MAN with the rest coming from Volkswagen.
Although there is plenty of evidence as to the existence of the Cummins Formula E290 engine at least on the Cummins stand, the new engine is only fitted to one chassis in Amsterdam — a Seddon Atkinson 400 tractive unit with a sleeper cab. Other Cummins powered models at the RAI include Kenworth, Ford and ERF, but these are fitted with "conventional" Cumminsunits.
The show closes tomorrow (Saturday).