Africars are on their my — with Citroen engines
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• The first production Africars will be delivered to customers on 1 June, but delays in development mean that their drivelines will not be as intended. The very first vehicle is for Lancaster City Council, and the order book now lists over 600 customers who will receive their vehicles soon.
Lack of finance for the hardpressed company has slowed down development of its twostroke, supercharged, diesel and petrol engines and eightspeed gearboxes.
Instead the first production vehicles will be fitted with a Citroen two cylinder, horizontally-opposed petrol unit and a Citroen gearbox.
The drive will be predominantly at the front wheels, but a propshaft to the rear with a Ferguson formula viscous coupling, ensures that there is four-wheel-drive. When the front wheels start to turn at different rates to those at the rear the viscous coupling will transmit power to the rear wheels until all wheels are turning at the same rate. The system works in a similar way to that of the Volkswagen Transporter syncro.
The company is also able to supply two-wheel-drive onetonne pickups, with a similar engine and gearbox and a limited slip differential for around £7,500 including VAT. It will continue to develop its own driveline for Africar, although the first gearboxes will not be available until the end of the year. The first engine will not be around until the end of 1989, but prototype first examples are being bench tested now.