LUXURY IN VAN-BODY CONSTRUCTION.
Page 12
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Details of an Exceptionally Well-finished Delivery Van Affording Valuable Mobile Publicity.
MOST USERS of commercial motor vehicles have at least some conception of the advertising potentialities of their vehicles, particularly if these be upto-date models equiPped with suitable bodies, and as a matter of fact we have on many occasions met owners who have stated definitely that the mobile publicity afforded by well-kept and wellfinished vehicles represents a very large sum, which would otherwise have to be expended on different forms of advertiselug. It is naturally a difficult thing to compute such advertising value in terms of pounds, shillings and pence, but we have been assured that in some cases the publicity value of a really strikingly finished, machine more than balances its running costs.
Some users have such a high opinion of this value that they have gone to comparatively great expense in the endeavour to make their vehicles attract the eye of the public. For instance, George W. Horner and Co., Ltd., the wellknown manufacturers of toffee and other confectionery, have recently put into service an extremely smart 24 h.p. 2-ton van supplied by the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., the bodywork of which was carried out entirely by the Dartford Engineering and Carriage Co., Ltd., Hythe Road, Willesden. London, N.W.10.
nig body is constructed in polished aluminium. One speciality of it is that it has each of its side panels painted a different colour and advertising two different brands of the company's toffee. Those on the " Boy Blue" side are . painted a deep red, whilst those on the B28 "Dainty Dinah" side are finished in Arcadian blue. The lettering is all, in cast aluminium treated with English gold leaf, whilst the plaques of "Boy Blue" and " Dainty Dinah" are cast in aluminium froni sculptured plaster casts and are really works of art. A smaller figure of the same type is mounted above the facia board.
From the, rear view it will be noticed that the sides of the body sweep in at the top as well as the bottom. Incidentally, a locker is provided under the rearmost part for carrying a spare wheal. In the middle of the near-side running-board valance a trap-door is fitted, this providing access to the mechanical tyre pump, also the mileage recorder, which is direct-driven from the gearbox. Although net shown in the illustrations, the driver's cab can be entirely enclosed by means of two Duralumiaframed transparent side-lights, which are hinged to the windscreen and held' by • the cab doors, so that they open and close with the latter. A triangular flap for signalling purposes is fitted in the • off-side light. In the 'interior are lockers capable of carrying 200 large bottles of confectionery, and each separate recess is lined with rubber tubing as a means for preventing the possibility of bottles being broken as a result of vibration on bad roads.
A special feature has been the fitting of Lucas lighting equipment. The brackets for the side lamps are much bettor finished than, in the ordinary type of vehicle. A light is also fitted inside.
The works of the users are situated in East Ham, and the new van is now being used, for distribution of the company's products in London and district, so that many of our London readers will be afforded an opportunity for seeing it. Naturally, it is useless, or almost so, to provide an excellently finished body if the chassis be not of a type which will assist in the good appearance of the whole vehicle, and certainly in this respect, as well as for its mechanical efficiency, the owners have done well in their selection.
It must be remembered that with an unusual body of this type, where special moulds have to be made for each of the figures, as well as the lettering, the cost is bound to be somewhat high, but this would be considerably reduced, in subsequent bodies of the same type.