EUROPEANS GAINING
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The buy-British syndrome is under attack among local authorities, but Leyland says it is doing better
If it wasn't for the protish attitude of local Notifies, some British iufacturers would have ; since disappeared," St Sussex County Couni transport manager, n Ashmore, said this k. His timing was fect — the Municipal tides and Equipment in ion was just about to n its gates_ 'he two-day show at the nsport and Road Rerch Laboratory, Crowme, indicated that the ricipal buyers' proish attitude has weakd in the past year or "We voted with our : and it shook our *al suppliers," continued more.
Vest Sussex was not alone.
vo's display included two FL7 8x4 ssis, one destined for ifordshire CC, the other for ripshire.
['he buy-British syndrome? "It's appeared," said a spokesman from vo, a company that in the past has .ssed hard for a British classifica1.
It's buy-European these days," I the man from Renault Truck In;tries, which earlier this year cirated a letter to all municipal horities, pointing out that the !rage UK content of the entire 1 range is 82 per cent.
.ast spring, Leyland held a series promotions for municipal fleet manTs. It seems to have paid off; the nparly says it has increased its ire of the municipal market to 22 per cent from last year's 15-20 per cent.
Roadrunner and the 13-tonne GVW Freighter are Leyland's main municipal contenders and the company claims that these are winning customers, predominantly at the expense of Bedford.
Bedford had chosen not to attend Muncipal Vehicles in Action and so could not answer that. Ford and Seddon Atkinson were two other missing municipal chassis manufacturers.
The chassis conversion work on the Talbot Express by AL-KO B&B, of Leamington Spa, can add length, payload capacity or reduce platform height. Its low-level conversion looks particularly attractive for muncipal work, giving a low platform height for loading plant or as a basis for a welfare minibus. Its simple rear suspension uses trailing arms pivoting on rubber in a hollow beam axle.
This company's singleaxle conversion costs 21,300 and the tandem axle is 22,220.
West Sussex has ordered one for carrying lawnmowers and the BBC is interested in one for cable-laying on outside broadcasts from golf courses.
Among the equipment on show were two new lightweight power take-offs for vans under 3.5 tonnes GVW without a gearbox PT-0, negating the need to tow a separate enginedriven compressor/ generator.
Martin Harper of Guildford offers a PT-0 installed part-way along the van's propshaft, with a belt drive taking the power up through a hole cut in the floor to a compressor/generator mounted in the back of the van. It provides 15kW per 1,000rpm of engine speed. The PT-0 costs 2980 installed.
Air Drive of High Wycombe has an even more compact system. This also uses a drive-line mounted PT-0, but coupled to an underfloor compressor and/or alternator to give immediate air and electric power from the van's engine without intruding into its loadspace. The complete under-floor installation with PT-0, compressor and optional alternator costs 24,000.
by David Wilcox