Road transport steals the limelight
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COMMERCIAL vehicle exhibits at last week's Essex County Show reflected the growing trend to widen the scope of this type of event from purely agricultural interest into regional trade exhibitions. The vehicles shown at Great Leighs included container carriers, bulk tankers and low loaders which in fact outnumbered the exhibits with livestock bodywork or for other farming purposes.
The Scantruck exhibit of Scania prime movers included no fewer than five semi-trailers bearing the new Trailor name-plate (formerly Peak Trailers). One of the most interesting vehicles on the Ailsa Trucks stand was a left-hand-drive F89 6x2 rigid for Simon International Ltd. This vehicle with Cooks' TIR tilt-type bodywork represented the increasing number of operators choosing drawbar trailer operation in Continental practice. One of the new Commer Commando range — shown by J. Day (Chelmsford) Ltd — was a G-I 611 fitted with Barvic roll-on/roll-off equipment for refuse container haulage by Page Waste Disposals Ltd, of Purfleet.
S. W. Services (Southern) Ltd, had a comprehensive selection of Mercedes-Benz vehicles including an attractively-bodied farmer's general purpose unit on a Mercedes-Benz 306 D chassis. The bodywork of this vehicle, with a springassisted rear loading ramp, was by Oakley Coachbuilders, of Ware. Another 306 D exhibit, by 0. G. Barnard Ltd, had similar bodywork but made full use of the front-wheel-drive feature by lowering the floor between the wheel arches. Supplied with alternative tailboard or full-height livestock ramp this unit was bodied by B. Plummer of Blakenham Motors, Ipswich.
An Arlington Motor Co exhibit included a Bedford KE 151in wheelbase platform-bodied chassis weighing under 3 tons and carrying a Luton-type livestock lift-off body built by Houghtons Parkhouse Coachworks, of Milnthorpe, Westmorland. Shown with an optional timber intermediate deck in 2ft sections the alloy-panelled body has a welded steel frame.