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
157
158
159
160 
"BABY" VANS THAT BRINE 300D BUSINESS
Page 102
Page 103
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
There is a Wide Choice of Vans, Small Lorries, Threewheelers, etc., Weighing Less Than 10 cwt.
RIGHTLY considered as " babies " of the goods-transport field, vehicles with a pay-load up to 10 cwt. form, nevertheless, an important section of our industry. In this article we propose to review their advantages in general, consider their diversity of type, and examine the potentialiti(% of those in every category.
The most disinterested individual must appreciate that there is a large widespread demand for such vehicles. He has only to travel to the remotest of English villages to see the smart, speedy van employed by the fishmonger, baker or butcher, whose eyes are open to the possibilities of advancing his business in every way.
Supply, fortunately, is in this case sympathetic with demand. Manufacturers are well aware of the good uses for motorcycle outfits, three-wheelers and small internalcombustion or electric lorries and vans. The list of vehicles which is available in these categories is, therefore, one which is comprehensive and representative. It is our intention to categorize this list, so far as possible, and review it with regard to several details of interest.
• Motorcycles as Commercial Vehicles •
At the bottom of the list, if one is to be ruled by capital cost, ease of upkeep, and economy in operation, come motorcycle outfits. It is practically unknown for a combination to be offered as a complete goods-carrying turnout, but a motorcycle of almost any make can pull a light trailer or can be attached to a commercial sidecar.
Special trailers—and very handy strong ones—for motorcycles, are manufactured by O.K. Supreme Motors, Ltd., Greet, Birmingham. Another manufacturer producing this type of unit is Noxal, Ltd., Elstree, Herts, whilst Watsonia.n Sidecars, Ltd., Greet, Birmingham, offers a 5-cwt. trailer with quickly detachable connection.
Commercial sidecars are manufactured by the Noxal and Watsonian concerns. The first-named company provides a heavy-duty float and a light box-type, whilst Watsonian Sidecars, Ltd., offers truck, van and box types of body. In either case, of course, it is possible to obtain sidecar chassis suitable for being mounted with any given design of body built by the buyer or some specialist agent. These sidecars and chassis are made with fitting brackets, etc., for nearly all machines of suitable power. Probably the most popular machine is that of 500 c.c. capacity.
We are brought, next, to the category comprising threewheeled vehicles, which (excepting certain battery electrics) includes the James, Reliant, and Royal Enfield. The James Cycle Co., Ltd., is well known for its Handyvan, c52 which is available in various forms, three of which are under 10 cwt. (being of 8 cwt. capacity). Both van and open-lorry forms can be obtained.
Reliant vehicles (made by Reliant Engineering Co. (Tamworth), Ltd., Watling Street, Twogates, Tamworth, Staffs) are of 8 cwt. and 12 cwt. capacity, the former .interesting us. It is a van of 74cubic ft. loading space.
A lorry body is also obtainable. The Royal Enfield (Enfield Cycle Co., Ltd., Redditch) is of only 3 cwt. capacity, with a comparatively low-powered engine, but it has an excellent performance and good loading space, whilst its design is remarkably straightforward and simple.
Now we come into the wide field of four-wheeled ultralight goods vehicles. We find that, in the internal combustion-engined section, the makes available are: Austin. Bedford, Commer, Fiat, Fordson, Jowett, Lloyd, Morris, Renault, Singer, Trojan and Victor Diesel.
Within the scope of this article we need not describe the technical features of all these models, for full details are contained in the Buyers Guide to Goods Chas,As, contained in this issue, Let us note, however, that pay-loads range trom 5 cwt. upwards and chassis prices from £77 10s. upwards.
At the last-mentioned low price-figure is offered the neat and sturdy little Lloyd, which, as a comparative newcomer to the commercial-vehicle field, deserves some special mention_ With a 350 c.c. two-stroke single-cylindcred engine, it has a body providing 55 cubic ft. of space, and weighs Si cwt. complete. With body, its price is £95. Transmission from the water-cooled power unit is to the front wheels.
Battery-electric vehicles, of pay-load below 10 cwt.; are to be obtained in many forms, and once again we would refer the reader to the Guide in this issue and to The Commercial Motor dated April 21, in which electric vehicles of all kinds were described.
Names and addresses of the various manufacturers of small vehicles in the four-wheeler section are given in the guide already mentioned.
Now we may consider the potentialities of the different categories of vehicle. Starting with the motorcycle, drawing sidecar or trailer, or both, we can appreciate. us already mentioned, that low initial cost and low cost of operation are foremost, although figures for these items, it must be admitted, are not a great deal below the corresponding figures for the smallest of vans or lorries.
The motorcycle outfit, however, has other advantages. It is easy to maintain and repair, and, in many cases, the operative, although not a skilled mechanic, can do the majority of repairs. This type of unit, too, is extremely manteuvrable and is acknowledged as • having a high safety factor. The tax on a motorcycle over 250 c.c. will be £3 15s. on January 1, 1940, and for the fitment of sidecar or trailer an extra £1 5s. will be demanded.
Now as to the three-wheelers: these are handy, simply constructed vehicles, whilst maintenance is only slightly more difficult than is the case with most motorcycles. It is worthy of mention, in connection with tricycles, that the contention that they are unsafe, or prone to overturn, has been rendered fallacious by modern design.
As from January 1, 1940, the tax on three-wheelers under 8 cwt. (unladen) is to be £5. For those above-that weight, however, but up to 12 cwt the tax is £10.
• Reliability of Small Four-wheelers. • Four-wheeled goods-carrying vehicles, if they do not exceed 12 cwt. unladen, are taxed at the rate of £10 per year. If over that weight, but not exceeding 1 ton, the tax is £15. Nearly all of them have four-cylindered power units of conventional design, are extremely reliable, and easy to handle, It is safe to say that the design of this type of vehicle has made great strides in recent years and gone are the days when the light van wilted and, finally, collapsed under the strain imposed by the enthusiastic, but somewhat irresponsible, tradesman's delivery lad.
.Electric vehicles are not, of course, so universally employable as the internal-combustion-engined units, hut for certain types of operation they score in many ways. As typical examples, the baker and the milkman derive marked benefit from the low running cost, general cleanliness and suitability for door-to-door journeys of the battery-electric.
The publicity value of the light commercial vehicle cannot he too highly stressed, and it is not always sufficiently appreciated. What could be more striking than a semi-streamlined miniature van, painted in a brilliant colour and bearing the tradesman's name, or that of his wares, in ultra-modern stainless metal letters?
Not only is the service value increased, from the point of view of the customer (a known psychological point) but prestige is gained, because the attention of the man in the street is, without question, attracted.
It must be remembered, too, that many articles of merchandise (e.g., radio sets and accessories, cosmetics.
• packeted provisions, etc.) lend themselves to reproduction on a large scale to form bodies for such vans, or large models to mount on top of them. The same applies to the sidecar and the three-wheeler.