lercedes
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leansgate 3-passenger oach
A new conversion of a Mercedes-Benz itre diesel chassis by Williams Motor of Manchester, has produced posthe first 16-passenger public service :le models currently made in the UK. A ificate of Fitness for the Mercedes-Benz asgate 16 was issued by the Ministry of tsport on January 30 and plans have made to gear up production of the el to one a week. The retail price will be 85. The manufacturer is also preparing rsonnel carrier version of this design to -seat specification. The luxury coach is ompete during April in the National :.h Rally, Blackpool, and the British :h Rally, Brighton.
August 1968 the possibilities of the ri were discussed with Mercedes-Benz usseldorf when the German company's iD Transporter high-roof van was !..n as a basis. The I37in. wheelbase is has a 2,197c.c. power unit dering 60 bhp at 4,200 rpm. The specifln includes twin-line hydraulic brakes, torsion bar suspension and a rear axle of 5.857: 1 which at maximum revs speeds of 10.9 mph in first gear, 22.1 in second, 38.8 mph in third and 55.9 in fourth. Tyres are Michelin XC 16. The unladen weight is 2 tons wt and although a p.s.v. the chassis is I at 4 tons 104-cwt g.v.w.
.ernally the saloon is spacious, the way giving a 6ft lin, headroom and the permitting plenty of legroom even for tssengers. The lay-out is four singles on
the near-side, four doubles on the off-side and a four-passenger settee across the back. So as to give good visibility the floor is sloped from front to rear. The saloon is equipped with a 671-kW two-speed heater and there is a Weathershields Kwikvent ventilator panel in the roof.
A luggage boot is built under the rear seats, external access being by double doors at the back. Additional luggage can be carried in a railed-off section on the left of the entrance.
In the course of a brief demonstration run in an urban area on Tuesday, the Deansgate 16 showed lively acceleration through the gears to the permissible maximum of 40 mph, writes a Commercial Motor staff writer. The
riding was smooth throughout, there being a minimum of pitching movement in evidence, even when sitting in the rear seats. A 360deg turn at a roundabout showed the excellent qualities of the suspension.
As indicated above, both headroom and legroom are more than adequate, while upholstery and general comforts are of a high standard. Fuel consumption, as revealed by an examination of the records of the demonstration coach, is about 21 mpg.
Williams Motor Company (Sales) Ltd. has been appointed Lancashire and Cheshire distributor for the Mercedes-Benz range of Transporter vans.