Prestolite's U.K. Plans
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IT was announced on Monday by Mr. I J. J. Bohmrich, president of the Prestolite International Corp., that a new company—Prestolite International (U.K.) Ltd.—had been formed to facilitate the marketing, licensing and management of the Corporation's interests in the United Kingdom, the headquarters of the British company being at 5 Stonhouse Street, London, S.W.4. Prestolite will be marketing a wide range of alternators, also transistorized ignition systems, resistor-type sparking plugs, coaxial starter motors and other items.
Of particular interest to British commercial-vehicle operators is the marketing of Prestolite alternators and regulators, production of which is scheduled to begin early next year in the Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, factory of K. G. Coyfield Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Arthur Guinness Son and Co. Ltd. Mr. William F. Purves, who is managing director of the British company in addition to being president of Prestolite Ltd. of Canada and a vice-president of Prestolite International Corp., told The Commercial Motor that initial production at Ballymoney would be concentrated on the smaller sizes of alternator and that for the next l2 months or so alternators suitable for heavy commercial vehicles would be imported from Canada.
Mr. Purves said that, whilst the Prestolite equipment available over here would not differ greatly in price and weight from equivalent equipment already offered in this country, his company had the advantage of being able to offer immediate delivery, in addition to a background of five or six years' large-scale operating experience with alternators in the U.S.A. and Canada, countries where already 80 per cent of production cars and commercial vehicles have alternating equipment as standard, with every indication that the one major manufacturer not fitting alternators now will do so soon.
There are 21 alternators in the Prestolite range, with voltages of 6, 12 and 24 and outputs of from 20 to 100 amp. In all cases the alternators are available with either positive or negative polarity and incorporate built-in six-diode rectifying equipment. There are two sizes of alternation 5,0-in. and 6.625-in. diameter, and matching voltage regulators can be of the conventional vibrator, semi-transistorized or fully transistorized types.