Passing Comments
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An Early Annual
MEARLY 40 years of service devoted to improving
1 long-distance passenger transport may be said to be embodied in the Duple Annual, 1958, which is obtainable from Duple Motor Bodies Ltd., The Hyde, Hendon, London, N.W.9. This compilation is a multuni in parvo of Duple -products, partly in colour and showing all the standard coaches and buses for which the Duple company have become famous, some having gained high awards at British coach rallies.
Many successful coach operating concerns have built up their fleets on various well-known chassis equipped with Duple coachwork, which emphasizes its popularity with the travelling public for comfort, safety and convenience.
New Fields for Simms
WHAT a remarkable man is Mr. G. E. Liardet, the TY great driving force behind Simms Motor Units Ltd., albeit supported by a loyal and qualified staff. The policy of the concern seems to be one of continual expansion either by the absorption of other production units or important participation in what they manufacture. What is even more interesting is the apparent happiness with which they come wholly or partially under the Simms banner.
It seems that the latest addition will be the Motor and Electronics Corporation, of which Sir Reginald R. Whitty, K.B.E., is chairman, as nearly 90 per cent. of the shareholders have agreed to the terms. This move will bring Simms well into the nuclear field.
The annual dinner started as a small affair for branch managers, then it became a function also for overseas agents, now it is a full-scale affair, attended by the directors and executives of all the constituent concerns.
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Mr. Liardet was able to announce the opening of Simms' seventeenth branch, whilst the year had seenthe breaking of all records for head office and branch turnover. Reference to another development was made last week in this journal.
Stealing the Show
TWO fine colour films of great interest with sound 1 commentary have been produced for the FirthVickers Stainless Steels Ltd., Staybright Works, Sheffield, 9. ," Where Staybrite ' Steels are Made" depicts a tour of all the departments of the company in which 40 different types of stainless and heatresisting steel are produced and where bars, sheets, strip and, castings, the finished products of the corn. pany, are processed. Hot and cold rolling, heat . treatment and. the critical heat control essential in the production of special steels, are all shown. This film concludes with the wide variety of uses, both industrial and domestic, of these materials. , The other film will appeal particularly, to technicians, it is "The Manipulation of Corrosion and Heat-resisting. Steels," and illustrates applications of Staybrite, advice to fabricators, preparation for welding and how to avoid defects in this, machining, pressing and many other processes. • Copies are available from the company on free loan. They are in 16 mm. Kodachrome colour, and the showing times are 28 min. and 30 min. respectively.
Priorities in Design?
A LTHOUGH primarily concerned with car design, 4-1 commercial-vehicle operators might well be interested in the recent informal discussion on "The Effect Of Modern Design on Car Repair Costs," held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
A designer stressed the advantages obtained with the all-steel body integral with the chassis. He claimed that the modern car could sustain serious head on impact, or even a roll-over, without fatal injury to its occupants. Given equal crash conditions, 42 per cent. less damage was incurred than with older vehicles. There was also more seating capacity and better weight-to-cost ratio.
A repairer said that careful consideration should be given to all relevant factors before acceptance of the idea that all modern cars were more expensive to repair than their predecessors.
It was suggested by an insurance assessor that repairs of minor damage cost much more, particularly if the trouble was at the front end. Claims were up 50 per cent. in five years and he opined that light weight, rapid acceleration and high speed were contributory factors.
In some respects, the designer of commercial vehicles has the advantage over his car colleague, because users with more professional knowledge can better indicate their requirements. It is imperative that certain elements of fashion in car design should not overflow into the commercial vehicle field. In most cases, fashion is too expensive for operators who have to make their vehicles paying propositions.