PLASTICS-I 1IED INTEGRAL COACH
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By John F. Moon, General Interest in Current Turin Motor Show is• High, but Viberti Monoplast Coach is Most Promising Newcomer: Other Makers Consolidate on Existing Designs
ALTHOUGH ' LTHOUGH there are few new vehicles among the commercial exhibits at the 38th International Motor Show, Turin. which is now in progress, there is ample evidence that Italian vehicle manufacturers do not intend to be left behind in the universal race for the evolution of new designs. Indeed, a European ".first" is exhibited at the Show in the shape of a plastics-bodied integral-construction coach, built by Viberti, who also display their Golden Dolphin, "coach
of the future."'
The Show was opened last Saturday by the President of the Italian 'Republic, and it will remain open until next Wednesday. The exhibition area has again been increased, this time by 1,435 sq. yd., bringing the total area to n acres. The added space is provided by an enclosed hail at the front of the main building, which is occupiedlay.some of the :trailer exhibits. There are seven principal chassis exhibitors, six of which arc Italian, but microbuses of Volkswagen and Tempo manufacture are displayed in the private-car section.
Production figures for commercial vehicles during 1955 dropped by 13.1 per cent. to 22,878, but 3 per cent. more passenger vehicles were built, the 1955 figure being 2,852. A 62.3-per-cent. increase is seen among the special types of chassis, of which 12,193 were produced. Current export figures do not show how many goods and passenger vehicles are sold overseas, but the general figure, which includes cars, is 28 per cent. of the total production.
Besides the' Monoplast integral plastics-bodied coach and the Golden DolPhin, Viberti are showing another new vehicle. This is a I4-seat integral-construction touring coach, using O.M. 11 LeOncino running units. Other new vehicles include a short-wheelbase version of the Lancia Esatau forward-control chassis, suitable for use as a prime mover; a wide variety of body styles based on the Fiat 600 Multipla all-purpose vehicle; a S.I.C.C.A. rear-engined integral passenger vehicle employing O.M. engine and running components; and a Fiat petrol engine adapted to , run on liquefied petroleum gas, the first of its-kind in Italy.
The most important of these new vehicles in general interest is undoubtedly the Viberti . MonoplaSt coach. This is a plastics-bodied version of the.C.V.15 Moriotral lightweight integral coach,which was introduced -at Turin last year.By employing a lighter construction than the normal Monotral model, the C.V.I5 weighs
1316
only 61 -tons unladen, a saving of 3f tons. It is fitted with a Fiat 92 b.h.p. oil engine and single 11.00-20-in. tyres all round.
In the Monoplast design similar running components and underframing are retained, but the sides, roof, front, rear ends and doors are one-piece plastics fabrications, employing no metal other than the window frames. Glass fibre and Araldite resin are the materials used for these assemblies, and the sections, which are solid, have a maximum thickness of 1 in. 'A timber floor is fitted to the Show model, but it is intended to use plastics for this also.
Araldite was used in preference to the polyester-type resins because, although it is more expensive, it forms a much stronger and more rigid bond. The importance of strength will be realized when it is remembered that, being an integral-construction vehicle, the sides and roof are subject to high localized stresses, apart from those absorbed by the underframe itself.
A further advantage of Araldite resin is that it is easy to work with; temperatures are not so critical as when working with polyester resins and only female moulds are needed for items as big as the side of a coach. Highly skilled labour is not, of course, necessary, and the number of men and man-hours necessary to build a Monoplast vehicle arc much smaller than those needed for a Monotral all-steel assembly, with its skeleton of welded tubing.
The user of a Monoplast coach will benefit from the greatly reduced weight of the vehicle—the body weight is cut by half—as well as from the ease with which panels may be repaired, and the increase in passenger comfort resulting from the insulating and sound-deadening properties of the plastics components.
Plastics arc also employed in the bodywork of the Viberti Golden Dolphin, an exhibit which is intended to portray what the luxury long-distance coach of a few years' time will look like. This revolutionary vehicle, which was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show last month, has a torpedo-shaped styling, with a large central dorsal fin at the rear. flaired "spats" over the rear wheels, and a completely transparent cupola over the whole length of the vehicle above the waist rail.
As shown it is not fitted with a power unit, but it is intended to use a new (and as yet uncompleted) Fiat gasturbine engine, which will propel the vehicle at 125 m.p.h. As an alternative a conventional horizontal oil engine may be used, with hydro-mechanical transmission in either case.
tri 8 All the wheels are independently suspended, and the centrally located steering is power-assisted. The Ceat tyre company is at the moment experimenting with tubeless giant tyres for use with the Golden Dolphin. •
The interior of the coach is most impressive. Eighteen single, Wily adjustable and swivelling seats are arranged ih three rows, and each has an individual reading lamp, footrest, detaChable table and stewardess call-bell. As an alternative layout, seating for 32 passengers can be arranged, using double .seats At the rear of the coach there is cloakroom accommodation, and a refrigerator, bar and storage clipboards enable meals to be served en route. As a relief from boredom during the hours of darkness a television set is incorporated in the pillar behind the driving seat. Air conditioning and a radio-telephone are other features.
Safety deviceS are numerous. Lap-straps are fitted to the passenger seats, the steering wheel is crash-proof, the two -power-operated entrance doors are controllable solely by the driver and the complete interior is well cushioned. Although this prototype vehicle is larger than European road regulations allow, the Viberti concern intend to follow, it up with a smaller version which will fall within the current legal limits, Even so, the roads have yet to be built which can accommodate a fully laden coach running at speeds in excess of 100 m.p.h.
A more mundane, but nevertheless interesting, Viberti exhibit is the 1I-ft.-3-in.-wheelbase Monotral integral touring coach built for C.I.A.T., the Furopabus touring company. This coach, which employs exactly the same structural method; as its full-sized brothers, incorporates O.M. II Leoncino mechanical components, including a 61 b.h.p. 4.1-litre oil engine.
As fitted out for C.1.A.T. it has only 14 seats, plus a rearward-facing courier's seat behind the engine cowl, and a large baggage compartment, 5 ft. by 8 ft., at the rear of the passenger section but not separated from it. An urban bus version, to be known as the C.V.21, is expected to be produced, and will seat 24 persons. Both models carry 9.00--20-in. tyres. with single rear wheels.
The Continental trend of L.P.O., already strongly apparent in Northern Europe, particularly Holland, has now reached Italy. Two Fiat petrol engines converted to run on L.P.G. are on view at Turin, that on the Fiat stand being a 10.67-litre six-cylindered unit. Edoardo Weber, S.p.A., of -.-Bolocna, have supplied the equipment for this conversion.
and on their stand there is the second smaller Fiat L.P.G. engine of unspecified dimensions.
A compression ratio of about 8 to 1 is quoted for the 10.67-litre engine, and it is said to develop 200 b.h.p. at 2.200 r.p.m. Whether L.P.G. will prove as popular in Italy as it has in Holland remains to be seen.
Another Fiat innovation has been the introduction of the Multi pla 600 general-purpose vehicle. Originally designed as a forward-control six-seat car, the rear seats of which could be folded down to provide space for goods, the Mullinla has been seized upon avidly by several body builders. Van, pick-up, ambulance and display-vehicle versions are liberally sprinkled about the Show, which is hardly surprising as this is the first lightweight forwardcontrol vehicle to be placed on the Italian market.
The Multipla employs the same mechanical components as the Fiat 600 four-seat car, and the specification includes a four-cylindered, water-cooled petrol engine of 0.663-litre capacity. This develops 215 b.h.p. at 4.600 r.p.m., and is mounted at the rear of the vehicle in unit with a four-speed synchromesh .gearbox... All the wheels are independently suspended, using coil springs and wishbones. The standard vehicle has an .overall length of 11 ft. 7 in., and is rated for a 7-cwt. payload.
Modifications to the standard range of Fiat commercials. include anew, more comfortable cab on the 642 and 682 series of 57 and .8-tonners and arestyled body for the 615N. 10-seat bus. . The .commercial chassis now have higherpowered engines, of 92 b.h.p. and 150 b.h.p: respectively, and various other minor mechanical improvements.
The 615N is a semi-forward-control bus, powered by a 1.9-litre oil engine with a. power output of40 h.h.p. at 3,200 This chassis is also available with van and lorry bodies, and is rated for -a 30-cwt. payload..
The 306/2 integral-construction, underfloor-engined coach._ which' .was, introduced last. year, has apparently. proved a great success. It is to be seen on several coachbuilders' stand's with luxury bodywork, the majority being for 5T . passengers. A. feature of this design is the low driving position, reminiscent of the DennisLancet underfloor, erigined passenger chassis.
Lancia have little new to offer this year other than ae t: 7-in.wheelbase version of their forward-control Esatau goods chassis. This vehicle, designed for semi-trailer" working; is suitable for use with payloads of 18 tons, and is powered by a six-cylindered direct-injection 8.80itre oil engine. developing 144 b.h.p. at 2.000 r.p.m. T1 has a fourspeed gearbox, with a two-speed atixiliary hos and is fitted' with 12.00-20 in. tyres. • O.M. chassis are to be found in all corners of the Show, particularly the 2?;-ton 11 Leoneino oilers. These are
proving very suitable for small urban bus and coach bodywork, for local delivery work and municipal vehicles, and as mobile shops and publicity vans. The front-wheel-drive chassis, introduced at the 1955 Show, is exhibited with various body 'styles which show off its low frame height to advantage. The rear wheel-boxes seem to he the main problem to producing a " perfect" low loader, and in one design it was noted that the boxes had been carried completely across the width of the vehicle, so giving the body a double-well effect.
A new version of the Il Leoncino 4 by 4 is shown. This, the 25N.„ has twin rear wheels with 7.00-20sin. tyres raising the payload by 30 cwt. to 3+ tons. When running cross-country this chassis is limited to a 21-ton payload. The other 4 it 4 chassis, designated
the 2ONT, has 9.00-20-in. sib& tyre equipment.
The S.I.C.C.A. integral, rear-engined coach, hitherto employing only Alfa Romeo running units, is now available with O.M. components. The 11,6-litre V-8, 175 b.h.p. Super Orione oil engine is used andthis is mounted longitudinally at the rear of the under frame. A straight drive to the rear axle is therefore possible, making the transmission, layout much more simple than wbe.n using the Alfa Romeo vertical engine Mounted transversely across the rear of the vehicle. Bianchi had no new chassis to 'show on opening day:. but a long-wheelbase' versiem Of the ViScoriteo chassis Was expected to arrive the following day. The current passenger chassis has a 9 ft. 9 in. wheelbase and can take 23-passenger bodywork, but by increasing the wheelbase to 11 ft. 6 in. a 28-Scat body can be accommodated.
This chassis has a four-cylindcred, 4.1-litre direct-injection oil engine, developing 60 b.h.p., tubular chassis frame, and independent front suspension. As a goods vehicle it is rated as a 2!,-tonner. Bianchi disclosed to me that they would soon be producing a light, two-seat car. in co-operation with Fiat and Pirelli.
Bodywork, both passenger and goods, is up to the usual high standard expected at this Show. Stylirtgs are not too exaggerated and there is no over-use of chromium plate.
Of the many and varied trailer exhibits it is difficult to pick out any one particular novelty. Orlaridi, however, show a single-axle semi-trailer with steerable wheels, this motion being transmitted from a cam on the king-pin coupling. Whether such an arrangement. is of benefit on an articulated vehicle is doubtful, and it is expensive.