S.U.T. Win Outright at Nice Rally
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L'OR the first time since the event was I begun 12 years ago, a British coach gained the Grand Prix in the Nice International Coach Rally, held last week. The award was for the coach gaining the most points in all sections of the threeday eventThe rally attracted nearly 100 coaches from six European countries.
"The decision that the British coach should have the premier award was the unanimous one of the judges," said M. Guy Herpin, French InspectorGeneral of Tourism, at the prize-giving. In addition to the Grand Prix (a Sevres vase which is to be shown at the French Government Tourist Office in Haymarket. London, W.1), the British coach gained two other awards..
It was an A.E.C. chassis with Plaxton Panorama bodywork entered by Sheffield United Tours, Ltd., and carried off a cup presented by the French Federation of Coachboilders for its elegance and comfort, and their bronze medal for its standard of seating and general safety.
The coach left Sheffield in the middle of last month with a full complement of fare paying
passengers, and travelled to Nice via Dijon, Stresa and Turin. On
the Riviera it took part in technical trials and the eoncours &elegance. Mr. Frank B. Ford, sales director of Plaxtons (Scarborough), Ltd., said that he had had some inquiries from toreign operators who attended the rally and were interested in the Panorama body.
Told of the result, Mr. Ben Goodfellow, general manager of S,U.T., stated: "1 always knew the Panorama would be a world-beater. The hard work which my company and Plaxtons have put in on the coach in the past few years has been well worth while."
The concours d'eleganee •which concluded the rally divided the entry into four classes for service, touring, de luxe and inter-continental coaches. Coachbuilders who appeared in the awards list included Gangloff, who won both the service and touring classes, Van Hoot (do luxe), and RCTIZO Orlandi (intercontinental).