Far East connection
Page 6
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AS PART of a fact-finding tour of Europe, 40 Japanese motor dealers and bodybuilders made London a port of call last week. Led by Shusaku Masuda, president of the Utility Vehicle Journal Co, the group then moved on to Paris.
During their brief stay in London, the party were given a lecture on UK vehicle operations and visited the York Trailer Company.
They also met Lain Sherriff, editor of Commercial Motor and Steve Gray, technical editor.
In spite of language problems, CM was able to learn something of the Japanese commercial vehicle industry and vehicle operation.
Japan has, for example, 10m commercial vehicles in operation — equivalent to the total number in use in Europe — compared with 1.7m in ti UK.
However Japan has a fair low maximum weight limit 20 tons, and so more vehict are necessary.
Draw-bar outfits are ma common than artics in Japa Mr Masuda told CM, an these are mostly small unit unlike those in the UK.
Many of the members < the party were from the hod: building side of the industr so a visit to an operator of Rt• Smith demountable bodii was of interest to them.
Others were from differel sectors including the Japane representative of Crane Fru hauf.
It is hoped that CM w. maintain the valuable link e tablished with the Japane and as a first step intends 1 exchange journals with Utili Vehicles Journal Co.