1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
560 cubic feet under 30cwt
Page 47
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Coachwork Conversions Ltd. has modified the structure of the company's Mark I aluminium Luton van to provide a capacity of 560 cu. ft., when based on a Ford petrol-engined Transit 35cwt 118in. wheelbase chassis/windscreen, at an overall guaranteed vehicle weight with normal options under 30cwt.
The new model is known as the Luton Mark II and, apart from mounting the body on a chassis/windscreen instead of a chassis/cab, weight-saving measures include the use of lightweight glass reinforced plastics doors and of a plastics surround panel that meets up with the plywood floor of the Luton extension. The steel roof of the cab section is thus eliminated and aluminium is employed in place of steel for the wheel boxes and back plate.
The Mark II Luton has many of the features of the aluminium Maxi-van which has a capacity of 420 Cu. ft. and scales under 30cwt unladen.
The new van was announced during a Press visit on Tuesday to the company's factory at Colne, Lanes, which has been operating since November and has a floor area of 30,000 sq. ft., the current output being 40 vehicles a week. The CoIne works was acquired because the factory at Stanbridge, Beds, has insufficient capacity to meet the increasing demand for the company's products, and a further 30,000 sq. ft. extension will in due course enable the existing labour force of 100 to be increased to over 250.
While the model of the Mark I Luton designed for mounting on a Transit LWB chassis/cab also has a capacity of 560 cu. ft., the vehicle cannot be guaranteed to weigh less than 30cwt. The Luton Mark I "under 30cwtvan based on a Transit SWB chassis/cab has a capacity of 465 Cu. ft. When mounted on a diesel-engined chassis/windscreen the Luton Mark H cannot be guaranteed to come within the 30cwt weight limit, but may do so in certain applications. Normal weight variations in
elude up to 50Ib on the vehicle chassis, 361b on the tyre (according to make) and 201b on the body.
Experiments with lightweight floors, doors and so on of honeycomb construction are being made in conjunction with Hawker Siddeley which should provide valuable weight savings. In the meantime detailed changes in body construction include the use of lighter but stronger non-structural panels.