A Flanking Attack at Brussels
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In an Effort to Obtain Better Stand Positions than in Last Year's Show, British Manufacturers are Exhibiting Through Distributors, Instead of Direct
A.FTER expressing discontent at the stand positions allotted in previous years, many British manufacturers have changed their policy of exhibiting vehicles direct at the Brussels Show, and this year will display their products through distributors. As there are few Belgian makes of commercial vehicle, it \is general practice ti S exhibit through agents, who; having been associated with the Brussels Show for many years, occupy the most prominent stand positions.
• There is, however, a risk in exhibiting vehicles through distributors. For example at the 1951 Brussels Show. one agent, occupying a large number of stands, displayed three British vehicles in sombre black, whereas the transatlantic models surrounding them were resplendent in full show finish. It is common practice at Brussels for distributors to occupy 10-20 stands, although this year, possiblybecause of reduced trade, General Motors, which has booked 16 stands, tops the list of commercial exhibitors. The,same.concern has requisitioned 24 Stands in the . Private-car halls.
Europe's Biggest Show
It is important that British vehicles should be shown in force at Brussels, because it is the largest and most international exhibition of the year.. Prospective buyers from all parts of Europe and beyond its boundaries can, this year, inspect 62 different makes of commercial chassis, 13British.
It is difficult to know the types and number of chassis which will be on view until the opening day, because most distrihutors complete their displays -at the show with models remaining in stock on the previous day. There will be few vehicles in the spacious halls this morning, hut many will be transferred from the showrooms to the stands in readiness for the opening ceremony to-morrow. The Show closes 'on Wednesday, January 30, In comparison with other commercialvehicle exhibitions, there will be relatively few coaclibuilders represented at the Brussels Show. They have a• large variety of chassis on which to display variouS body styles and it is encouraging io find many British vehicles in their selection. As an example, Jonckheere, van Hool and Ruysschaert de Coyghem will each have A.EC. Regal coaches on their stands, most being based on the latest underlioor-engined chassis.
• An A.E.C. inter-urban service model with a Jonckhecre body, for De Polder of Antwerp. i part of a fleet. Another A.E C. Mark IV undeulloer-engirsed chassis on the Jonckheere stand will have a long-distance Coach body built for Huy brechts, of Antverp.
The van Hool exhibits will include a 45-seater touring coach body on an underfloor-engined chassis and a 55-stater body on the A.E..C. Mark Ill chassis. which .has the 9.6-litre engine• in the normal position at the front. A special 36-seater luxury eoach, based or( the Mark Ill chassis, will be shown on
the Ruysschaert stand.
Five passenger and two goods models will be displayed by Ets. G. Spitals, 167, Rue 'fweemont, Antwerp, the A.E.C.. Belgian distributor. ' These. inelude an underfloor-erigined Chassisi and two vertical-engined• models, one having the fluid coupling and• preselective gearbox, and the other a hydraulically operated clutch with the new overdrive-top gearbox. The passenger model's with bOdies. comprise a long-distance :coach on the Mark HI chassis for Buysse et Vane* Wege, and a Mark IV with a special double-purpose body in which the seating can be arranged for Istis or coach service. Both, these bodies have been built by Jonckheere. Two Matador chassis, one a Mark III of 16-ft. 7-in. wheelbase andthc other a tractor unit. equipped with the 11.3-litre 150 ".11.h.p. oil engine, will be included in the display.
Although British-built municipal vehicles have previously been exhibited at Brussels, honours go to the Austin Motor Co., Lid., for being the first to show a complete fire-engine. This is basically the 5-ton long-Wheelbase ch:ssis, equipped with body and equipment by John Kerr (Manchester). Ltd., Liverpool. Powered by the sixcylindered overhead-valve petrol engine developing 100 b.h.p., it has rapid acceleration and is geared to cruise at 60 m.p.h. Special features of the body include a double cab providing accommodation for an officer and four men, and abnormal locker space, with all equipment accessible from outside. The powertake-off for driving the main pump is fitted to the chassis and can be operated with the vehicle stationary or moving. The pump performance ranges from 750 g.p.m. at 80 lb. pressure to 180 g.p.m. at 220 lb, pressure. Water can be discharged through the first-aid hose reel or the main purrip valves from the water tank. This allows fire-fighting jets to be immediately available, thus saving time while static or other water supplies are being located. The Austin Motor Co., Ltd., intends showing nine other commercial chassis through its distributor, 12...E. ffiggins, 87, rue de Page, Brussels. Smallest of the range, the A40 of 10-cwt. payload capacity will be shown as a van, in Countryman • form and with an open pick-up body. There have been some minor modifications to this model, and it now has a steering-column gear lever and a slightly different frontal style The van and Countryman have swaged roofs to prevent drumming and there is a cornbined extraction and induction ventilator incorporated in the roof.
The A70, a 15-ewt model of high performance, will make* its first Continental appearance at Brussels. To 'be shown with pick-up and Countryman body styles, it is, powered by a four-cylindered 68 b.p.h. petrol engine, and has a four-speed synchromesh gearbox with steering-column control.
In the Countryman the rear seat is arranged to fold forward into the floor, leaving almost 5 ft. of body space available for load. in addition to the normal doors at the side, the two section§ of the rear panel open wide for easy loading. The pick-up has slightly more body space behind the cab. The sides are lined with steel panels and The floor has metal wearing strips.
Other models willinclude the 25-cwt. van with three-way body and 2-tonners and 5-tormers of 'Wt. 2-in. and 13-ft. 11-in. wheelbases respectively. The 2-tonners and 5-tonners incorporate the six-cylinderecl 100 b.h.p. petrol engine. There will also be an Austin 5-tonner of 9-ft. 7-in, wheelbase equipped with a Perkins P6 oil engine.
A representative selection of Bedford vehicles will appear on the 16 stands occupied by General Motors Continental; Noordelaan, Anvers, which will also show models of American design. The British products range from the 10-cwt, van to a 7-tonner weighing under 3 tons complete with body.
The Rootes Group will be exhibiting through its concessionaire, Rootes (Belgique) S.A., 47 Cantersteen, Brussels, a comprehensivedisplay" of Corrimer, Karrier and Vulcan chassis on four stands. These will include a Commer station wagon, two Express delivery vans, and a medium-duty pick-up which is a recent addition to the Commer range.
This model, with a payload rating of 16-17 cwt., has a Superpoise cab and frontal styling, and an all-metal body with a wholly flat floor. Of 9-ft. 3-in. wheelbase, it employs a 50 b.h.p. fourcylindered engine and is equipped with single tyres all round.
Others of the Superpoise range include the 11-ton chassis and cab, 3-ton chassis and cab, and 5-ton tipper, which is to be shown equipped with an Eaton two-speed axle. The new 85 b.h.p..six-cylindered overhead-valve petrol engine, which is now used in the Superpoise , range, will appear as a sectioned exhibit.
Other improvements in the Superpoise range include more powerful braking, increased brake frictional area, strengthened frames and modified suspension. Of material -benefit overseas, where high speeds can often be maintained, .a wide-base-rim wheel is fitted. It improves riding comfort, decreases heat build-up and reduces the risk of tyre bursts.
To match thee increase of engine power, a four-row-core radiator is provided, together with a high-efficiency fan, The spacing of the radiator grille bars has also been modified. The increase of power has also required larger universal joints, strengthening of propeller shafts and larger-diameter axle driving shafts.
The underfloor-engined range will be represented by a 7-ton tipper chassis and cab a..d a long-wheelbase version, both equipped with two-speed axles. As forward-control modelsin which the engine does not obtrude into the cab, they have full-width bench-type seats, with ample space for three people.
A KarriCr Bantam 2-tonner and tractor chassis will also be seen, There have been many developments in the flantam range since it was last shown at Brussels. These include .a new allsteel cab, a more powerful engine with chromium-finished. cYlinder bores and a riveted chassis frame having larger' front springs for higher deflection. Iii addition, a high-ratio axle is fitted to afford more economical performance.
The Vulcan 7 GF. 10-ft. 3-in, wheelbase chassis-to be shown is a 7-tonner -equipped with the Gardner 4LW fourcylindered oil engine, a live-speed gearbox and hypoicl final drive. It has a composite-construction light-alloy rearaxlc'case.
Kew-builtDodge chassis will be exhibited by S. A. Chrysler,. 50 rue de Naples, Antwerp,– and Ets. Brondeel S.A., 94 rue -Joseph II, Brussels.
Altogether 14 commercialvehicle stands will be occupied by these two concerns, but the present arrangements include only three British-built models, surrounded by transatlantic types. The Kew-built chassis will comprise two 5-tonners. One will be a short-wheelbase model equipped with a locally built tipping body, and the other will have a Perkins P6 high-rating oil engine. A Dodge 6-ton chassis, complete with cab, is likely to be the only other British exhibit on these stands, unless some last-minute changes are made.
It is probable that the few Thames models exhibited will also be overshadowed by other chassis displayed on 12 stands by the FOrd .Motor Co., Henry Foordlaan, Anvers. The Present list of Thames to be shown comprises 5-cwt. and 10-cwt, vans and a 5-tanner with a drop-sided body. The Thames models are all standard products of Dagenham, the 5-tormer of 13-ft. 1-in. wheelbase having, a V8 petrol engine.
Guy Arab and Otter,passenger chassis have been chosen by van 1-tool, Verheul. lonckheere and other Belgian: bodybuilders to display high-quality
c2 coach bodies. Miklos Motor, 29, Eendrachstraat, Anvers, the Belgian distributor, in arrangement with Nederlanschcl Motoren, Mij. N. V. Waalhaven 0 Z.1., Rotterdam, the main Guy distributor in the Benelux countries, will display nine Guy 'vehicles in chassis and completed form.
The chassis will include a conventional and an underfloor-engined Arab, and there will be a complete verticalengined model with pre-selective gearbox and body by van 1-1Iool. Two .underfloor-engined touring coaches, with bodies built to the requirements of B.B.A. and van Haelewyn, by Verheul and Jonckheere, will be shown, together with a normal chassis having a special body-. congructed for the Antwerp Tramways. The Otter, equipped with a Gardner. 4LK oil engine, will appear in three forms—as a lorry chassis, a touring coach with body by van Hool, and a tanker for the Transport and Trading Co., Ltd., Antwerp. In addition to these models exhibited by the distributor, other Guy vehicles will appear on the stands of various bodybuilders.
A Royal Tiger chassis with Bellhouse Hartwell, Landmaster all-steel-framed luxury coach body, will be shown by Leyland (Belgium) S.A., 32
rue Auguste Lam biotte, Brussels, together with a
Cornet 90 17-ft. 6-in. whecib.ase chassis adapted for passenger service and equipped for full-fronted bodywork by Brossel Freres, the Belgian representative.
The Royal Tiger, which Will be operated by Blue Cars, has body dimensions of 30 ft. by 8 ft. and 32 seats fitted with side and central armrests.. Each seat is luxuriously equipped with Dunlopillo cushions, squabs and head rolls, in addition to ashtrays, parcel racks and silk rope handles. A swivelling seat is provided for the
courier. . .
A forced-draught Votilation system is provided incorporating two double centrifugal fans mounted behind panels above the curved toughened-glass windscreen. These fans force cool air along
ducts which are incorporated in the parcel racks at cant-rail level. Air is then fed to each pair of seats through adjustable louvres, by which the direction and quantity of air can be regulated. Air for the two Leyland heaters is taken from outside the coach at waist level, ducted into the beaters and then along each side of the coach at floor level .
Locally built bodies are fitted to two of the MorrissCommercial vehicles which will be exhibited by Ets. P. Decrose, 96 rue du Sceptre, Brusses, the Nuffield Belgian distributor. A van body has been built on the 25-30-cwt. normal-control chassis. Another interesting exhibit will be a Belgian pantechnicon built on the 3-ton chassis. This is powered by the six-cylindered 70 b.h:p. petrol engine, which is at present produced for export only.
• Other models with this engine will be and Cowley types, partnered by a .Cowley pick-up.
Four Seddon goods and passenger vehicles will be shown by Ets.•Flocke, 30 rue Gancheret, 'Brussels.... These include a 5-ton left-hand-drive tipper, a removal van, based on the largest Seddon passenger chassis, a 30-seater coach and a 20-seater touring coach based on the Marls 7 chassis. The bodies, scheduled for completion just before the Show opens, are locally built.
The small coach, like other Seddon chassis, has forward control, and the first batch of this model, equipped with the Perkins four-cylindered oil engine, is no-w operating in Bermuda. . The Perkins high-rating" six-cylindered oil engine is employed in the larger models.
The Standard estate car and van, incorporating the same engine as the Vanguard car, are popular on the Continent. They vie in appearance, interior furnishings and performance with contemporary American models, and the estate car and delivery van are sprung for payloads of 5 cwt. and 12 cwt. respectively. The Standard van, with an interior platform length of 6 ft., has a total capacity of 105 cubic ft. and an additional 20 cubic ft. of space when
the passenger seat is removed. .
The estate car has a hinged rear squab, which, when folded flat, affords a floor length of 4 ft. 4i ins. The width is 5 ft. These models, and possibly a 12-cwt. pick-up truck of similar specification, will be shown by Imperia S.A. Nessonvaux-lez-Lige.
Ets. Hunter, Antwerp, will be displaying four Perkins oil engines ranging from the three-cylindered 32. conversion unit for Ferguson tractors to the P.6 oil engine, which is fitted to • many chasss to be shown.