B ENZ, BROSSEL N EW LOOKS AT B RUSSELS
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
From A. J. P. Wilding, Brussels
D RUSSELS is more "inter") national" than any other major European vehicle Show. More manufacturers from other countries exhibit here than at any other, but it is very rarely used by any of them for the introduction of an important new model.
The pattern continues this year. Only Brossel Freres, Leyland's Belgian subsidiary, and MercedesBenz show completely new designs.
And from the international aspect every recognised European maker is represented and in addition, Russian, Japanese and American vehicles are to be seen.
Sealdia Volga SA of Brussels showed a small Russian truck at the last Salon here in 1965 and this year the company has three on show.
The Gas 1-tonner is seen again with two heavier chassis, a Gas four-wheeler for 8/10 ton gross and a ZIL tractive unit for 16/17 tons g.t.w. Both the extra vehicles are normal control as against forward control for the small truck.
The Japanese vehicle is the Hint) which is built in Holland and has been seen at shows in Europe before, including Earls Court.
American trucks on show include International, Mack, White and Autocar. The last two makes (from the same producer) are not well known in Europe—Autocar models have not been exhibited here before—and their showing is in line with White plans to extend the marketing of its trucks in Europe.
Belgium is a good market for British vehicle makers who take a lot of interest in the Brussels Show and the new Leyland-Brossel model is the BL 55 bus chassis. This is featured as a bare chassis and also with a body. But the body exhibit is not the usual gleaming and spotless Show model. It is the prototype covered with dirt and grime picked up while being put through the 60,000 mile proving run reported in COMMERCIAL MOTOR of January 6.
The BL 55 has Leyland running units in a light chassis frame designed by Brossel and these include an 0.600 diesel mounted horizontally at the rear driving through a PneumoCyclic semi-automatic gearbox.
The new Mercedes-Benz models are the L 406 and L 408 goods chassis and the 0 309 "minibus" based on the same chassis. The difference between the 406 and 408 is that they have diesel and petrol engines respectively. Both are designed for the same gross weights which can be 3.5, 4.0 or 4.6 tons.
Two wheelbases are offered for both the goods and passengers designs-9 ft. 8 in. and 11 ft. 6 in. —and while the diesel engine used gives an output of 60.5 b.h.p. gross the petrol unit can be had with alternative compression ratios giving 78 or 90 b.h.p. gross.
Changes made to AEC models marketed by the company's Belgian subsidiary include a newdesign goods cab made by Bolleken and the introduction of a Mandator four-wheeler for 19 tons gross (or 36 tons g.t.w. in tractive-unit form).
For the rest the chassis exhibits here are very much as before, in a Show that remains open until January 29 and will be reported fully next week.
Leeds Ring Road: The £2m, 11,200-yard) first stage of Leeds inner ring road was opened by the Lord mayor, Aid. J. S. Walsh, on Saturday. Two-thirds of the length runs in a 20-ft. cutting. the remainder being in a twin-tube tunnel. The road is entered at the Westgate roundabout. The complete inner ring road will cost E45m.