The Progress of the Light Van Trials.
Page 19
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A Diary of Prozezclings at the Autozn303i1e Club.
Oct. isth.-Trials suggested in Automobile Club Notes and Notices.
1902.
June Igth.-Suggestion repeated in Notes and Notices. July 2ist.-Executive Committee of Automobile Club decides to hold Van Trials "in about a year," and to call a meeting of users to settle conditions. Letter from Messrs. Cadbury Bros. offering co-operation, and contribution recei:ed with thanks.
July 28th.-Executive Committee sanctions issue of letter drawing attention to proposed trials to leading firms and large stores likely to require motor vans capable of carrying not more than a ton of load. Oct. 9th to Nov. 27th.-Favourable replies reported to successive meetings of the Executive Committee. Dec. 4th.-Conference held at the Automobile Club between users, prospective users, and makers. Resolutions passed to hold trials for vans designed to carry from 5cwt. to 2 tons of load about the end of x9o3 or the beginning of 1904. Dec. 8th.-Result of conference reported to Executive Committee.
Dec. x5th.-Offers to serve on the Organisation Committee reported to the Executive Committee.
Dec. 22nd.-Further offers similarly reported.
1903.
Jan. 12th to Feb. and.-Further offers similarly reported. Mar. 9th.-Executive Committee defers consideration of the offers to serve on Organisation Committee. Mar. x6th.--Ditto ditto ditto.
April 20th.-Ditto ditto ditto, "in view of the enormous amount of work involved by the Gordon-Bennett Race."
May 4th.-Executive Committee decides that the three secretaries and Mr. Claude Johnson shall draw up a reference as to the duties and composition of the Committee of Organisation before its election. May xi th.--Executive Committee decides that the secretaries shall see users and draw up a scheme for the trials.
May 25th.-Executive Committee approve general scheme. Copies to be circulated to the technical members of the Executive Committee for criticism.
May 28th.--The Club Journal announces that the preparation of a scheme for the forthcoming Delivery Van Trials is well forward."
June 22nd.-Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders offers two gold medals for presentation in the Van Trials "about to be held" by the Club.
Oct. 26th.-Executive Committee appoints a sub-committee "to draft a scheme for the trials."
Nov. z2th.-Letter received by Executive Committee from Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders asking to be informed "the precise position of the preparations for the Van Trials." Secretary instructed to reply "that the arrangements are not yet in a sufficiently advanced position to enable the Club to make any statement." Nov. 3oth.--" Informal" meeting of the sub-committet. appointed October 26th. Dec. 14th.-The Club Committee appoints a Club Committee of Organisation "to formulate a scheme for the trials," and decides to hold the competition during the months of October and November, 1904.
1904
Feb. 8th.--Offers to serve on the Organisation Committee reported to Executive Committee.
Feb. 22nd.--Offer of a diploma from the Secretary of the Army Council, with condition attached that the Mechanical Transport Committee of the War Office be represented on the Judges' Committee, accepted.
April 6th.-" A very full discussion" takes place at a meeting of the Expert and Technical Committee, which recommends that the trials be held in February,
1905
April 28th.-Expert and Technical Committee alter date to March, igo5, to avoid clashing with Olympia Show.
May 25th.-Ditto to April, xgos, to avoid Agricultural Hall Show.
i6th.-Expert and Technical Committee decides that heavy vehicles, that is, those carrying up to 6 tons, shall be dealt with in a separate trial.
24th.-Club Committee decides that in the event of its being necessary to hold trials of heavy motor vehicles at a later date than April, 19o5, the trials of light delivery vans should not be postponed on that account.
7th.-Expert and Technical Committee appoints another sub-committee to draw up rules. Aug. Oct.
Dec.
1905.
Jan. 6th.-Industrial Committee resolves-" That the Technical Committee be asked to furnish this Committee with full particulars as to what form the proposed Light Van Trials should take, and also to consider the possibility or otherwise of combining with the Light Van Trials trials for heavy vans." Jan. xxth.-Expert and Technical Committee consider resolution of Industrial Committee, and resolves that it is desirable to combine the light and heavy trials. Matter referred to the sub-committee appointed on December 7th. Jan. 2oth.-Expert and Technical Committee approves draft regulations. Feb. 24th.-Expert and Technical Committee resolves-" That the whole of the scheme of the Commercial Vehicle Trials be reconsidered."
Mar. 27th.--Resolutions of the Industrial Committee :
a) That in the opinion of the Industrial Committee the Light Van Trials, that is, vans capable of carrying a load up to 2 tons, should be held, even if the Pleasure Car Trials have to be aban
doned.
(b) That Commercial Vehicle Trials for all classes of vehicles, both heavy and light, should be carried out by the Club this year.