PRODUCTION FACILITIES FOR AUSTIN COMMERCIALS.
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It is now well known that the Austin Motor Co., Ltd., is to enter the commercial-vehicle market with a range of vehicles of 30-cwt., 2-ton and 3-ton capacity, details of which will probably be available early in the New Year.
Extensive production facilities for this range are being prepared at Longbridge, and they will eventually involve an expenditure exceeding £500,000.
The premises in course of construction comprise four large shops laid out for the machining of chassis components, for chassis assembly, and for bodybuilding and service. These cover an area of 168,000 sq. ft. The largest is the assembly shop, which is an unobstructed bay 1,000 ft. long and 40 ft. wide, to which all components are fed by a well-arranged conveyor system.
The machine shops are in a new three-storey building affording over 35,000 sq. ft. of floor area. Power units are, however, being produced and tested in the existing North Works at Longbridge.
The service building is being equipped with the latest plant for handling these new products ; it alone will occupy over 25,000 sq. ft.
In order to cope with these new demands, the company has found it necessary to extend its power station, stamp shop and foundry.
Farm Tractors and 20 m.p.h. Limit.
During the past year negotiations have been proceeding, between the Ministry of Transport and the Tractor Users' Association, with regard to the regulation which calls for the fitting of a speed indicator on all 20 m.p.h. vehicles. The Association has produced evidence to show that no standard agricultural tractors are capable of reaching this speed and it has just been notified that farm tractors are to be exempted from the requirement.