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New models citcli the eye

v the Technical staff

EW MODELS at the Show one from Italy, France, ermany, Holland — and ritain. Leyland's new Ballo with the engine must ttract attention and the ion-sleeper Marathon will raw an audience. Seddon tkinson's "export only" DO and the ERF European, ie 57C3, will pull in the isitors.

Bedford's new models — nder the dust covers till the 1st minute — will prove thether or not it pays to hold ack details till the doors pen.

Between these home-prouced attractions and the iflux of new Europeans, the 976 Show looks like being he most interesting for ome time.

A sleeper version of the ERF -Series cab will be making a rst time appearance at Earls Court. Fitted to a Cummins engined tractive unit with a wheelbase of 3.2m (10ft Gin) — this will now be a standard wheelbase for the sleeper cab version.

Another newcomer on the ERF stand will be a new truck designed for the European market. Designated the 57C3 it is a 6x4 tractive unit plated for operation at up to 57 tonnes (56.1 tons) gcw it has a 13 speed gear box. A Hendrikson bogie is featured at the rear.

DAF will be revealing a new truck for the UK market, full. details of which are given elsewhere in this issue. In addition to the new truck a DAF 2800 DKS tractive unit and an eight-wheeler FAD 2205 DU will be on display.

The French manufacturer Peugeot will be exhibiting four variants of its 404 pick-up. range. These will be one standard pick-up, a dropside model, a van body conversion

and a livestock carrier. All the vehicles shown will be fitted with diesel engines.

The new Fiats described in detail in last week's CM will be making their UK debut at the Show. Although they have been available on the Continent for some time, their specifications have been adjusted to suit British requirements.

The 159 Fiat is a 16-ton rigid model while the 170 tractive unit will be exhibited in two forms + one with the 246kW (330bhp) V,8 engine and the other powered by the familiar six-cylinder 179kW (240bph) unit. The new Fiats will have a tilt cab compared with the fixed cab of existing Fiat models in the UK. On the tractive unit side, both 170 variants will have a sleeper-cab fitted.

Completing the Fiat exhibits will be examples of the 0M55 and 0M75 range. The former will be in chassis-cab form while the 75 will be shown as an integral van.

Most of the new vehicles to be seen at Earls Court will be from Continental manufacturers, including Saviem which becomes the first member of the Club of Four consortium (DAF, Magirus-, Deutz, Volvo and Saviem) to bring the range to the UK. Full details will be released next week, but it is known that the J range, as it is called, will be shown in 9, 11 and 13 tons gvw form.

Also on the Saviem stand will be examples of the already well known top-Weight tractive units.

Fellow Club of Four member Magirus-Deutz will also be unveiling a new range for the first time in the home market. In contrast to Saviem, however, the new trucks are not "Club" machines but the result of the Magirus involvement in IVECO — the International Vehicle Corporation comprising Fiat, Unic, OM, .Lancia and Magirus-Deutz.

Two examples of the new range will be on show in 5.6 and 7.5-tonne form. With the major exception of the power unit the trucks share a common specification with the Fiat 0M55 and 75 models which are already available here. The engine is the air-cooled Deutz F4L 913 unit which produces 65kW (87bhp) DIN from a capacity of 4.1 litres (250cuin). This in-line four-cylinder motor is common to both the new Magirus models.

So far as this country is concerned Magirus-Deutz has always been known for its trucks at the heavier end of the scale and examples of these will also be on show at Earls Court, including the eight-wheeler and the 231kW (310bhp) V10 engined tractive unit with sleeper cab for intercontinental operation.

One of Magirus's main competitors in its German home market is MAN, which will also have several new models on show under both the MAN banner and that of its Romanian offshoot, Roman. The MAN newcomer will be the V10 engined 19.330 FT tractive unit plated for operation at 44 tonnes (43.3 tons).

The naturally aspirated power unit develops 246kW (330bhp) at 2,500rpm and 1,030 Nm (760Ibft) or torque at 1,400rpm.

Representing the first National showing of the Roman range will be a 4m (13ft lin) wheelbase rigid for operation at 12.8 tonnes gvw, the R8.135F. The Romans are built under licence from MAN in Romania and bear a distinct visual likeness to the German machines.

Another new truck to be shown by MAN is the 44-tonne tractive unit — the 16.280FT — powered by a turbocharged six-cylinder engine developing 209kW (280bhp).

After this barrage of new vehicles from the Continent it is nice to be able to report that. several new machines from UK factories will be at the Show this year. Leyland for example has several major variations of existing models on show for the first time.

The Buffalo, previously only available with a turbocharged version of the fixed-head 500 series engine, can now be specified with a naturally aspirated version of the Marathon's TL12 power unit. The new L12 produces 151kW (203bhp) which is the same as the AV760 in the AEC Mandator.

Marathon itself has not been forgotten and the top-weight model of the Leyland range will be on show in its new "short sleeper" option form. The new cab has been designed to allow operators to run a sleeper-cab machine that will still couple legally to a 40ft trailer.

For the Boxer range, a turbocharged version of the Bathgate-built 98-series engine has been announced and this will be on the Leyland stand in Boxer 1200 and 1600 chassis. The new engine will replace the Perkins 6.354 as standard for the Boxer BX1600 and will be offered as an option to the naturally aspirated 98 series for the BX1200, 1300 and 1425 models.

Answering the criticisms of body drumming in the EA van range, Leyland will be unveiling an improved version at the 'show. The flat panel body sides have been replaced by invert

ed-rib panels and the composit€ wood-steel floor by a single. piece steel floor which Leylanc claims has given the EA greatel torsional and beam strength without an increase in unladen weight.

At the heavy end (plus!) ol the weight range, a 244-tonne (240-ton) gtw Contractor model will be part of the Truck and Bus display.

The 6x4 machine is fitted with a six-cylinder Cummins KT-450 diesel which delivers 295kW (395bhp) one 1,642Nm (1.211lb ft) of torque.

In total the Leyland exhibits number 36 vehicles including 12 psv and five specialist machines_ From Seddon Atkinson the most interesting of the two new exhibits for Earls Court will be the new export-only addition to the 200 series. This has been designed for a gvw of 14 tons compared with the home models at 17 tonnes marketed at the present UK 16-ton limit. Because of the lower power requirement, the new • model has the 80kW (107bhp) Perkins 6.354 engine in place of the 100kW (134bhp) International D-358 unit. The resulting lower torque output also allows the use of a David Brown gearbox instead of the Eaton 542 CMJ component for the home market version.

The other new Seddon Atkinson exhibit which will be on view is the 400 series tractive

init fitted with the recently innounced Rolls-Royce Eagle ?65 engine. Cummins and iardner engines will also be ihown in tractive unit and )ight-wheeler versions of the li00 series.

New light van, Transit and Transcontinental models are imong the exhibits which will )e shown on the Ford stand this /ear. The new light van is the 35 which has a payload of ipproximately 350kg (7cwt) Ind replaces the 30, For 1977, the Transit model me-up has been revised and a 'law 190 model with a 3.5-tonn4 gvw introduced — 'ull details of which were given n CM last week, At the other and of the weight range, the 'amiliar Transcontinental will in 'act be making its Earls Court . lebut. The ultimate in Trans:ontinentals will be the Long Haul version for Middle East ype service. The show vehicle Nill feature the basic package and all the various options including air conditioning, :coking facilities, sink and fridge unit, tinted laminated screen and a solar roof panel.

Completing the Ford truck line up will be various examples of the popular .A and D Series models.

The major change in the Chrysler UK exhibition this year is the absence of the Simca and Commer marque names — all Chrysler commercials are to be marketed as Dodge from now on. The Chrysler stand will have 13 models on display ranging from the Dodge 1100 van with a gvw of 1,790kg (1 ton Bcwt) to the Spanish-built K3820 Barreiros tractive unit with a gcw of 38 tonnes (37.4 tons).

Amid a crowd of Perkins engined Commandos, the G13 model will be shown in its optional form with a Mercedes-Benz OM 352 engine fitted.

Specialist vehicle manufacturers Shelvoke and Drewry' will have three machines at the Show including a 22-ton crash tender powered by a 320kW (430bhp) Detroit Diesel engine which is claimed to give the vehicle an acceleration of 0-50mph in 34 seconds.

Leyland power is used for the 16-ton 4x4 from S and D, in this case the turbocharged 410 engine. The NN tilt cab machine also uses a Leyland engine but this is a naturally aspirated 6-98 unit.

Two new variations on the Volvo F86 theme will make their UK debut on the Ailsa Truck stand, the 32-ton tractive unit fitted with the fully automatiC Allison gearbox and torque converter and the sixwheeler F86 incorporating the new lightweight Volvo 'T' ride tandem-drive bogie. This new bogie is very similar to that used on the bonneted 'N' series and the F86 eight-wheeler (the latter will also be on the Volvo stand at the show). Completing the Volvo line-up will be an example of the market-leading, F88 tractive unit.

Another first timer as far as Earls Court is concerned, is the new 16-tonner from Mercedes-Benz, the 1617. This machine uses the same New Generation cab as the top-weight 1626 tractive unit which will also be at the Show. The 1617 will be shown in its 4.5m (14ft 9in) wheelbase configuration.

New models from Scania to be seen at this year's Show will include a 6x4 LBT 86 designed for the UK tipper and mixer market and an automatic transmission version of the LB81. Like its Swedish rival, Scania is also using the Allison gearbox.

The LB111 tractive unit plated for 48 tons will be shown in 3.1m (10ft 2in) wheelbase form while the top end of the Scania range will be represented by the de luxe sleeper cab version of the LB140 modified and trimmed to a higher level than the standard cab. The 140 is powered by Scania's big V8 developing 250kW (335bhp) at 2,30Orpm.

On the UK front once more, Foden's most famous product, the eight-wheeler rigid, which consistently leads the market in the UK, will be shown for the first time with its latest power unit option, the Rolls-Royce Eagle 265L. The other major specification changes are the re-designed . steering geometry and the new S.83 glassfibre cab.

A Cummins 250 will be on show as an example of the S83 range of tractive units while the first example from the Universal model range, which was shown as a prototype at Earls Court two years ago, can be seen in 36-ton gvw form.

Berliet will have two tractive units at the Show, the TR280 and the TR32.0 (the latter in left-hand-drive form). The 280 already well known in the UK features a turbocharged . sixcylinder engine of 180kW (240bhp) maximum output.

A development of the Toyota Corolla estate car, the Corolla van (recently the subject of a CM road test) will be exhibited by Toyota (GB) Ltd. This has a payload capacity of 460kg (9cwt) and a loading volume of 1.35cum (471/2cuft).

Another new exhibit from the Japanese company will be the Hi-Luxe pick-up, which is the biggest Toyota commercial ever to be marketed in the UK. It offers a payload capacity of 1160kg (23cwt) for a kerb weight of 1,120kg (22cwt).

Capable of carrying loads of up to half a ton, Honda's new TN360 panel van will be appearing at Earls Court for the first time. A 354cc (21 cu in) overhead camshaft two-cylinder petrol engine is specified with a four-speed gearbox.

Also from Japan, Mazda will be showing its B1600 pick-up designed for a maximum payload capacity of 1,000kg (19 1/2 cwt) .

Volkswagen will have its widest range of commercial vehicles ever displayed in Britain with the main emphasis being on the new water-cooled LT range of which there will be six examples on show. The biggest selling LT variant is,the panel van which will be on view in its diesel powered 2.3-tonne payload form.

As well as the LT range, the long serving air-cooled VW will be at Earls Court fitted with the option two-litre (122cuin) petrol engine.

Details of the new BecIfords to be unveiled at Earls Court will be released next week although the company will also be showing examples of its current range.

UMO Plant will be showing two Soviet built four-wheeldrive vehicles — the Belaz 452 van and the 452 chassis cab with a welding generator mounted on the chassis frame. Both vehicles have a one-ton payload capacity and are powered by a 2,445cc (149cuin) petrol engine which gives a claimed 'maximum ,speed of 95km /h (59mph).