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BLAST FROM THE PAST

22nd December 2005
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Page 56, 22nd December 2005 — BLAST FROM THE PAST
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Keywords : Jowett, Car Body Styles, Van, Mini

Whether or not you take an interest in commercial vehicles,it's hard not to be intrigued by this year's Christmas tester.There are many cornerstones in the history of commercial vehicles and the Jowett Van represents a time when the commercial world was expanding in line with the first signs of consumerism, The Jowett Motor Manufacturing Company was originally set up in Bradford in 1902, initially concentrating on producing 55° V-twin engines, but it wasn't until 1910 that its first car went into production, rated at an outrageous 6.4hp.However, this wasn't enough for some people and the car's advertising was changed to state 8hp, even though no modifications were made. As a result sales soared.

The factories stopped car production in 1916 to help with the war effort, but in 1919 new facilities were built and a new company formed —Jowett Cars Ltd. During the 1920s the company took off and continued its success into the '30s. By the '50s it had even started looking at building a sports car—the prototype won its class in the 1951 Monte Carlo Rally.

Unfortunately, the company was wound up in 1955, but for many enthusiasts the name evokes a golden age when Britain was at the forefront of vehicle manufacturing.

Our example was built in 1932 and registered in 1933. It was lent to us by owner Jerry Larke and the Brook lands Museum in Surrey, where it resides. It also came complete with two enthusiasts— Cohn Shaw and John Keabl c — who kindly took time out to deliver it.

Power comes from a 907cc, twocylinder petrol unit that produces a conservative 14hp: maximum revs are allegedly 2,50Orpm, but it's doubtful we'll be seeing them. It's a two-seater short-wheelbase version and comes complete with `de-luxe' spec that includes Dunlop Magna wheels and rearmoun ted petrol tank.

Productivity

If you thought flat panel sidewalls were something manufacturers had only recently introduced to maximise load space, think again.The Jowett may not be classed 'high-cube' like today's compact vans with their tall load dimensions, but it certainly offers maximum use of the load space available with its box-like shape. Wheel arch intrusion is surprisingly minimal, allowing an almost flat load bed and as it's all made of wood there are no internal metal fittings hindering the use of space. Unfortunately, sliding side doors had not been introduced when it was made so getting goods in and out requires opening the rear doors.

We didn't have an official payload to hand for authentic testing, so we used Cohn as our test weight instead. Keeping in touch with him to check he was comfortable in the back was no problem because there was no sign of a bulkhead, which considering the time, was probably very useful for gaining access to goods at the front of the load area.

On the road Common-rail technology? Pah, who needs it when you've got two cylinders and all the refinement of a small riot? Press a button on the attractive, all-wooden dash and the Jowett comes alive—the idle is enough to have you raising your voice considerably and you need to keep your teeth clenched to avoid losing fillings. Hut what do you expect?

Now comes the hard part. It turns out that we need to double-declutch. (For younger readers, this means releasing the clutch on exiting, then clutching again on entering the next gate.) However, t he CM test-team is nothing if not adaptable.To describe the shift as longthrow would be insulting to a cricketer, but take your time and you'll be rewarded.The three-speeder starts with a dogleg, then it's across and up for second and down for third.

Out on the admittedly smooth road the Jowett demanded constant steering input to keep it on the straight and narrow, and at one point we were touching 30mph —though it could have been twice that due to the combination of raw noise and near Zen-like concentration needed.

According to contemporary notes on the van, experienced drivers drove more on the handbrake.The power of the transmission brake is magnified by the differential, which means the foot brake requires more than four times the sensitivity to achieve the same results as the handbrake.We decided against this novel experience and trusted the foot, which required a degree of force, but not as much as you'd think for such a vehicle.

Cab comfort Climbing into the Jowett — especially if you're taller than average—is not a task to be taken lightly, or, for that matter, rushed. With the nearvertical handbrake eonven iently placed in front of the driver's fool-well, casual prancing in and out is a non-starter — any attempt to do so may result in a smashed ankle/shin/foot. Fortunately, the slower pace of life in the '30s would be conducive to a more relaxed approach —these were, after all, the days before A-Zs, multi-drop deliveries, traffic wardens and the congestion charge.

fp terms of driver comfort you get a seat,and that's pretty much it. And what a seat, it looks like the spare chair in your gran's house that's brought out when all the rest have been taken. But sit in it and you'll find adequate comfort, over short journe■,,s at least. As for the driving position. you get adjustable nothing. It's one size fits all, but it's not too cramped to become uncomfortable, although the steering wheel is a touch oversized and will chaff your thighs on occasions —when completiiy, any steering manoeuvre for instance.

Driver and passenger windows provide airconditioning and for that traditional 'flies-inthe-teeth' experience you can also drop the windscreen onto the bonnet. Now there's something Ford doesn't offer on its Connect, not even as an option.

Next up we have cab refinement. In normal testing we take every measure to give all the relevant information needed to help make a buying decision. Cab noise levels are important and we use a finely-tuned reading meter that conveys the level of relinement in the cab.

However, with the Jowett two words came to mind -forget it.That is unless you want the meter to blow up in your hand or become permanently shell-shocked. Noise is emitted from everywhere, rather like a 2CV on steroids, whether it's from the front, below or rear. But it doesn't get to the point where you go insane.

The word ergonomics probably wasn't invented in the '30s, but in-cab information consists of a fuel gauge and (faulty) speedo, conveniently mounted in the centre of the dash.There's even a passenger storage compartment for your Woodbines. •

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Locations: Bradford, Surrey

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