P links with Terbe
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EXCLUSIVE
II Motor Panels, the Coventry and Wigan-based commercial vehicle cab manufacturer, is aiming to become the largest specialist convertor of light commercial vehicles in the UK by the end of 1988. This goal follows the setting up of a new joint venture company between Motor Panels Wigan and the Dutch heavy truck builder and light vehicle convertor Terberg.
The new sales and marketing company will be called MP Terberg and will initially concentrate on conversions based on the Ford Transit and Escort — MP Wigan already carries out highroof conversions on both these vehicles for Ford of Britain — although discussions with other UK and European vehicle manufacturers are "well advanced".
MP Terberg is based at Motor Panel's Higher Ince, Wigan production plant, where all UK conversion work will be undertaken. Under the joint agreement, signed between Motor Panels Coventry and Terberg BV, for MPW and Terberg subsidiary company Terberg Specials, Motor Panels will be responsible for the UK marketing of all conversions produced by MPW. Terberg Specials will produce and market vehicles for continental Europe.
There will however, be a continuous crossflow of technology and product development information between both partners and in addition MPW will also produce all support steel work used in the van conversions, for both companies. Modification work carried out by MP Terberg will include fitting high roofs with full height doors, sliding doors, pickup bodies, crew cabs and special purpose bodies for security and police authorities.
MPW managing director Greg Mullins, who is also a director of MP Terberg, says that Motor Panels Wigan is "looking to become the major light commercial vheicle convertor in the UK — we are already there in terms of our facility and potential throughput — by the end of 1988".
During next year, MPW and Terberg Specials hope to produce some 3,000 high-roof Escort vans and 6,000 highroof Transits between them, for sale throughout Europe. Of these 9,000 vehicles, MPW expects to produce around 5,000 high-roof Escorts and Transits for the UK market. MP Terberg director Neville O'Keeffe estimates that the total market for light CV conversions in Britain is some 15,000 units per annum.
The combined forces of MPW and Terberg Specials will make the new joint venture "The largest conversions operation in Europe," reports Mullins.
MPW has already invested some 2300,000 in developing its light CV conversion business and Muffins expects a further "2150,000 plus" to be spent on increasing the size of the Wigan plant and on new tooling. The revised MPW production line "will enable us to tackle up to 10,000 conversions in the first 12 months," says Mullins.
Until now, the bulk of MPW's work has been in tractor and heavy construction vehicle cabs. By the end of the year, however, Mullins predicts that light CV conversions will account for some 32% of MPW's throughput, rising to as much as 50% by the end of 1988.
Maestro
In addition to the GRP highroof conversions, with extended rear doors, on the Escort and Transit, MPW is working closely with other manufacturers and is aiming to take on extra business. MPW could shortly be producing a high-roof Maestro van for Austin Rover, and is also working with two other manufacturers to produce a box van body based on a hatchback van.
Mullins, however, asserts that MP Terberg will be capable of handling any light CV derivation including a vanbased pickup conversion, estate-based vans and highcube models. MPW is currently working on a third door conversion, based on the Transit crew cab, which is already sold on the continent by Terberg Specials.