SPECIAL VANS
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for
High class
Goods
0 N 'many occasions during the wa-st 20 years attention has been drawn to the publicity value of motorvans.
Now that motor vehicles •are used by practically every firm baying deliveries and collections to make this may not be so great as in the early days of the Motor movement, but it still exists, its extent depending largely upon the special efforts that are made by individual firms to secure it.
In America, the land of mass-production, a feeling• has grown up, in recent years, particularly among the trades men having a wealthy clientele, that something more dignified than the mass produced motorvan—something more in tone with the particular class of business—has become necessary, and it is interesting to learn that there is now at least one concern in that country which, instead of turning out vans to a stan dard pattern at a minimum cost, has built up a successful business in what may be regarded as individualized vehi cles, specially designed for the trades men dealing in high-class products to which we referred above. We allude to the Elysee Motor Corporation, of 7, Thirty-fifth Avenue, New York, which has its works at Hagertown.
Before passing to a brief description of the Elysee vehicles, it may be useful to quote the remarks of the chief per sonality of one prominent New York concern, which has changed its Ileet of
delivery vehicles from the old style to what it terms " custom-creating " vans, as to why it was decided to make the change. In the first place, he mentions'
that during the past few years great progress has been made in scientific re tailing, every branch of the business haying been studied in order to secure added prestige.
This introspection led to the conelnn2.8
sion that there was one branch that had not been given its proper "atmosphere" or " tone " and which called for improvement, this branch being that concerned with the actual delivery of the
ordered goods. The member of this American concern adds that "not only have we entirely modernized our fleet of delivery vehicles, but we have trained a special corps of smartly uniformed and polite drivers 'so that the dignity of our company shall be maintained right up to the purchasers' doors."
Coming now to some details of the Elysee vehiele, we learn that four models
are manufactured, these being known is the "Bandbox," "Fifth Avenue," " Courier" and "Mercury," the first two being intended for loads up to 15 cwt., the others having carrying capacities of 15-20 cwt. and 25-30 cwt, respectively. In the construction of the vehicles, although standard components of a size and strength suitable for vanwork are employed, the external fittings, such as the radiator, windscreen, lamps, etc., as also the body finish, are all based on high-grade car practice.
We illustrate the "Fifth Avenue" and "Mercury" models, both of which are fittod tvith a Continental Red Seal six-eylindered engine, having a bore and stroke of 3i ins. and 41 ins. respectively, claimed to develop over 50 h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m. A multiple-disc clutch, three-speed gearbox, Spicer propeller. shaft and spiral-bevel gearing are incorporated in the design. Foot-operated internal-expanding and hand-actuated external-contracting band brakes are fitted to drums on the rear wheels, which are shod with 30-in. by 5-in. pneumatic tyres. An electric lighting and enginestarting equipment is provided.
The "Fifth Avenue" van has a wheelbase of 11 ft. 4 ins., the body of the van having a length and width, at the belt-line, of 6 ft. by 4 ft. 4 ins. respectively, and a central height of 4 ft. In the case of the " Mercury " van, either 30-in. by 5-in. or 32-in. by 6-in, pneumatic tyres can be fitted ; the wheelbase is 12 ft. 2 ins, and the bodyloading dimensions either 8 ft. or 9 ft. long, 4 ft. 7 ins, or 4 ft. 8 ins, wide, whilst the height at• centre can be 4 ft. .7 ins. or 5 ft.
The frame of the bodywork is con
strueted of ash, with forged-steel reinforcements, the panels consisting of layers of plywood, padding and an outer covering of sheet steel painted in the modern two-colour style. The floor of the van is also built of steel plates; a dome light is provided in the centre of the loading compartment, whilst a novel provision is that when the van doors are open a green signal light appears on the dashboard and remains alight until the doors are properly closed. The driver's seat is entirely enclosed, the top of the cab, in the case of the "Mercury," being so arranged that when desired it can be let down.