An Opening for Invention.
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By Henry Sturmey.
N THIS COUNTRY we are chary of new ideas, and do not accept innovations with the readiness with
which they are accepted in, America. That is, in fact, one of the difficulties • of the manufacturer who makes improvement's and introduces new ideas in this country. Everyone is afraid to "try the experiment," and waits to see how 'the other fellow" gets on. It has been the case from the first in the motor industry, and was particularly so in the commercial motor industry. In the case of touring cars there were enough enthusiastic amateurs to start the ball and keep the earlier producers, going; until example and satisfaction in use led to their general adoption.
But, with the commercial vehicle, the hesitatiOn and scepticism were great, and the tradesman, warehouseman and producer of goods declined to consider the new form of vehicle because it was a commercial proposition with him, and he wanted to be absolutely sure of his ground before making a change from horses, with the capability and limitations of which he was well acquainted, and so each one waited for the other to begin, and trade in motor trucks stagnated in consequence. In the States, on the other hand, people are much more inclined to argue a new thing out for themselves. They look at it. broadly, and examine the claims made for it by its producers, and, if those claims seem to be reasonable ones, if there apparently are any advantages to be derived from its adoption, they do not let fanciful fears or trivial objections stand in the way of a purchase, so that new notions "catch on" very much more quickly than with us.
The Coming of Conversion Units.
On this account the wide adaptability for usefulness of the ubiquitous Ford car has been quickly developed and exploited to surprising success on the other side of the Atlantic, and scores of new adaptations of this popular construction have met with success and much favour in what, from the English point of view, is an incredibly short space of time. In no particular has this been more strikingly evidenced than in what are termed " conversion units," by the attachment of which to a Ford chassis loads can be carried by this remarkably adaptable machine ranging from 15 to 35 cwt., and even, with one of these constructions, to three American tons-6000 lb. —or, by the removal of the back wheels and addition of a few fittings, it can be made to do service as a very presentable farm or road tractor, for work on the smaller farms, where first 'cost is a matter of prime consideration. In this country such innovations are received by trade and public alike with increditlity. That "the Ford chassis could not carry a ton "—or whatever else-the proposal— is at once stated baldly, as if that settles it, without any consideration as to whether it is really asked to perform such a task, or any careful examination into the underlying principle of the thing, and so the progress of such things. has been slow. But such things have made progress, and possibly the exigencies of the war—the production of regular trucks of the lighter capacities being stopped —have helped to secure their adoption. Still, their use is but small as compared with their use in the States. Several firms producing such things as these conversion units are already producing as many as 10,000 per annum, whilst the sales in this country will by no means reach as many hundreds. Sufficient experience, however, has been had with them now to show that they are really practical and actually do the work which they are called upon to do satisfactorily, and that, of course; at a small cost by comparison with the purchase of a new motorvan.
A British Unit Wanted.
All these outfits, however, are designed specially for use with the Ford chassis and with no other. The reason, of .course, is simple. The .Ford is an absolutely standardized production, and there are a hundred times as many Fords in use in America as of Most other individual makes, so that. the designer of an attachment of any kind has certain ground to work an as well as a large market. 'There are, of course, a great many thousand Fords in use in this country, but• there are also a great'many more cars of assorted makes, and many of these, having passed their prime for touring car work, are being used—and abused— in commercial service, for which they were never constructed and without any special adaptation except the change of betty.
If such machines, still serviceable, can be as readily adapted in a practical manner to deal with the loads which their hp. would enable them to propel as the Ford can be, there is no doubt that some such adaptation would not only serve the needs of the public under the present conditions, but also meet with success. as an after-the-warproposition by providing a ready outlet for the sale of such tour-' ing car chassis as have gone out of date for the touring .car use of the fastidious. Hence, no it seems to us, there is a 'very promising field for invention in the direction of a conversion unit which can be applied with the minimum •possible amount, of new work in adaptation to practically any of the existing chassis now in the hands of the public. There are probably five times as many other cars as Fords in use in this country, so that a really practical, _.readily adaptable unit which could be fitted to them at little expense would have a very much wider field for operations than have the Ford conversions which are only adaptable to that car.