Stimulating ideas
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By Brian Weatherley
THE SHAPE of vans to come has been revealed in a series of futuristic light vehicle designs produced by Motor Panels, the Coventry-based cab manufacturer.
The artists' impressions feature a range of modular design, forward-control, integral vans and chassis cabs in the 2.5 to 3.5-tonne-gvw category, although a scaled-up version of the striking wedge-shaped cab could be fitted to middleweight trucks up to 9.5 tonnes gvw, according to Motor Panels' senior executive engineer, Andrew Scott.
Motor Panels has backed up its designs, which are the result of a five-year research project, with a full-scale production engineering study which has confirmed the feasibility of manufacturing the vehicles using existing cab production techniques.
Several light commercial vehicle manufacturers are "already stimulated by the ideas," according to Motor Panels managing director Merrick Taylor, who sees the project as "a major step in developing a complete vehicle body system for light vehicles." Using experience gained in manufacturing Leyland's C40 cab range, as well as its own standard panel cab system, Motor Panels has designed the concept light vehicle range, which would be produced iri front or rear wheel-drive form, to ensure maximum body panel commonality.
The result is a basic cab module which has the potential to be fitted to a wide variety of short or long-wheelbase vans and chassis cabs including high and low-roof integral vans up to 7.5 tonnes gvw.
The cab itself could also be produced in standard, wide-bodied or crew-cab versions.
Motor Panels cites a typical integral van model in the 2.5 to 3.5-tonne-gvw class on a 2.4m (7ft 10in) wheelbase with an overall length of 4.7m (15ft 5in) providing a minimum load volume of around 8.16cum (291cuft).
The design philosophy is by no means limited to vehicles using conventional pressed steel body panels, rather "it oilers good opportunities for the use of alternative materials."
The light vehicle design project represents a major departure for Motor Panels, which is better known for its work in cab design and manufacturing at the heavy end of the cv market. It claims to be Europe's largest independent cab manufacturer, and builds the C40 Roadtrain and C44 Roadrunner cabs at Coventry as well as all Seddon Atkinson cabs, the Ford Cargo sleeper unit, and cabs for Scammell and Floor, the Dutch vehicle builder.
Motor Panels has not revealed the names of any prospective clients for the new light vehicle body range, although 'rnany light cv manufacturers such as Ford are already well advanced in replacement van projects and may not be able to make direct use of MP's designs.
A more likely candidate, however, could be Freight Rover, whose two to 3.5-tonnegvw Sherpa range will be due for replacement within the same five to 10 year design to manufacturing "perspective" held by Motor Panels.