A Striking and Wellequipped Demonstration Vehicle
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An Interesting G.E.C. Mobile Showroom Comprising a Leyland Tiger Chassis and a Harrington Body ONE of the best examples of mobile showroom that we have as yet inspected is a machine that has just been put into service by the General Electric Co., Ltd., Magnet House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2. It comprises a Leyland Tiger petrol-engined chassis carrying a Harrington body specially designed and equipped for demonstrating the wide range of G.E.C. domestic electric appliances.
The complete machine was supplied by the United Service Transport Co., Ltd., and its general design is of outstanding interest. Finished in black, white and yellow— the G.E.C. colours—the body is 27 ft. 5 ins. long, 7 ft. 4 ins, wide, and 10 ft. 1 in. high.
There is a compartment between the commodious forward control cab and the showroom itself. This is equipped for use as an office. It contains two comfortably upholstered seats on the off side, with a collapsible table between them, and, on the near side, a further seat, which conceals an electric generator for supplying current for the demonstration of the appliances. There are also built-in lockers for the accommodation of literature, etc., Access is gained to the showroom through a sliding door on the near side, which opens on this office compartment, and a further door in the dividing partition. There is an emergency. exit at the rear, which is also brought into use when the number of persons wishing to inspect the contents of the van is so great that it is desirable for them to pass through in a unidirectional stream.
In order to eliminate vibration, the cab is insulated from toe main part of the body. Under the driver's constant observation during demonstration, a voltmeter and revolution indicator are mounted on an instrument board at 1340 tached to the dashboard. The dynamo is a Witton 3-kilowatt d.c. machine running at 230 volts. It is driven by chain from the gearbox power-take-off at about four times engine speed. During a demonstration we witnessed this was about 950 r.p.m. A chimney in front of the office carries away all fumes from under the bonnet. At the front and rear of the vehicle's exterior there are Claudegen neon signs, the former showing the lettering in blue and the latter in red. The bold lettering on the side panels is in polished steel. Careful attention has been paid to the ventilation of the interior, and, despite the many electric lamps and fires that were in use during our examination, the atmosphere was not overpoweringly hot.
Its dimensions are 16 ft. 10 ins. by 7 ft. by 8 ft. All the exhibits are arranged in sections with individual switches. Although they are nu: rnerous, there is no impression of overcrowding. They include a wide variety of Osram lamps, mounted on the walls and ceiling; and many examples of Magnet built-in and portable fires, electric cookers and washing appliances.
The concern's water-heating apparatus, tubular heaters, vacuum cleaners, hot-plates and Genalex clocks are also displayed, as well as an interesting electric fire designed specially for use in bathrooms, This machine is the largest and most efficient of the various electrical propaganda vehicles hitherto employed by the General Electric Co., Ltd., and this important con,cern's enthusiasm for this form of publicity constitutes convincing evidence of its value.