74 SEDDON

20th September 1968, Page 137

20th September 1968

Page 137

Page 138

Page 137, 20th September 1968 — 74 SEDDON

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Seddon Motors Ltd., Woodstock Factory, Oldham, Lancs.

ALTHOUGH none of the six exhibits on the Seddon stand is brand new, four of them have not been seen at Earls Court before. Two of the first timers are from the Seddon 13:four range being 16-tongross four-wheelers while a third goods model is the 32:four tractive unit with Rolls-Royce Eagle diesel engine. Finally, in this category there is the Seddon Pennine IV passenger chassis which like the 13:four models has a Perkins 6.354 engine.

The 32:four with Rolls-Royce engine was introduced by Seddon at the end of 1967 and just before the Commercial Motor Show opened I was able to do the first part of a road test on the model. This consisted of a two-day run from London to Edinburgh and return and a full report of this and a normal road test will be published later in the year. The chassis is designed for a gross combination weight of 38 tons but is plated at 32 tons, the existing limit in the UK. The engine produces 220 bhp at 2,100 rpm and the drive is through a six-speed overdrive gearbox.

The two examples of the 13:four are a 12ft 6in. wheelbase chassis with Pennine light-alloy body of 10 cu.yd. capacity and the kerb weight is such that a full 11-ton payload is possible. The Perkins engine in the chassis gives 120 bhp at 2,800 rpm and the drive is through a five-speed gearbox to a two-speed rear axle. The second 13:four is a long wheelbase chassis— 16ft 9in.—which is shown without a body but it has the same mechanical specification as the tipper.

The Pennine IV p.s.v, from Seddon has a 16ft-wheelbase and although shown as a bare chassis it is suitable for 33ft-long bodywork. A Perkins 6.354 engine is fitted in the exhibit but the Perkins V8 is optional. One important feature of the design is the simplicity of component layout.

The final two exhibits on the stand are both tractive units. One is the 32-4-6LXB with 9ft 6in. wheelbase and fitted with the Gardner 6LXB, 180 bhp engine, six-speed gearbox and Seddon's own 13-ton capacity hub-reduction rear axle. The second has the same rear axle but is a 28-4-V8 with 9ft 3in. wheelbase and fitted with the Perkins V8 driving through a five-speed gearbox.