SEVEN SURPRISES AT SHOW)

24th September 1954, Page 82

24th September 1954

Page 82

Page 82, 24th September 1954 — SEVEN SURPRISES AT SHOW)

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New Chassisless Double-decker, Three Light Vans and 8-tonner Included

gEVEN surprises are among more than 30 new models which will be seen for the first time at the Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court today. The highlight is a new chassisless double-decker for London Transport which will replace the trolleybuses and become the standard type of motorbus for use in London during the next few years. There are also three new light vans based on private-car chassis, a new 8-tonner, a 6 X 6 vehicle for overseas, and a foolproof coupling for maximum-load articulated vehicles.

The new London bus is a 64-seater with a gross laden weight lower than that of the R.T. 56-seater which it will ultimately replace. Its unladen weight is 6 tons 14} cwt. Among its outstanding features are two-pedal control, removable sub-frames for the running units and coil springs.

Two of the three new light vans are of 5 cwt. capacity. The Thames springs from the Anglia private-car design. The new Reliant three-wheeler is based on the Regal car and is notable in having a plastic body. The third van is a Standard 6-cwt, adapted from the 10 h.p. car of the same make.

The 8-tonner is a Seddon, in which for the first time the makers fit an oil engine other than a Perkins. It is a Gardner 5LW unit.

Universal Power Drives, Ltd„ have produced a new Unipower 6 x 6 overseas model known as the Aintree. It has a Perkins P6 oil engine.

The seventh surprise is a remarkable new Scammell automatic coupling gear for articulated vehicles of up to 24 tons gross. It is instantaneous in operation.

The Commercial Motor Show, which opens at 10 a.m. today and closes on October 2, is the biggest ever held. There are 437 exhibitors-17 more than in 1952. In the vehicle section the number of exhibitors has increased by one to 38, in the accessory and corn

ponent section by nine to 229, in the service-equipment section by six to 60. whilst four more exhibitors are found' among the associations, Press and other services. There are 72 bodybuilders and trailer makers at the Show, compared with 74 in 1952, and 13 tyre makers. compared with 14.

Special arrangements have been made for the reception of overseas visitors, the number of which is expected to break all records_ Admission costs 2s. 6d. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Is. from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

LITTLEWOOD'S DIRECTORS TAKE OVER BODYWORKS THREE directors of Littlewood's Mail

Order Stores, Ltd., have formed a company in Manchester to take over the business of Blanckenbergs Body Works, Renville, Cape Division, South Africa. They are ,Mr. John Moores, snr.. Mr. Cecil Moores and Mr. John Moores, jnr.

The title of the company is Blanckenbergs Bodyworks. Ltd., and the capital is 00.000_ Mr. John Moores, snr., is the secretary, and the registered office is at Chapel Street Works, Store Street, Manchester, 1.

Blanckenbergs build a wide variety of bodywork, some of which has been illustrated in past issues of The Commercial Motor.