BIGGER ENGINES AT BIGGEST PARIS SHOW YET By A
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Trends at the Pall Show are similar t those at the Lando Commercial Moto Show, with many nel models, bigge engines including vee unit and a nel tilt cab.
I" N very many ways the commercial-vehicle section of the 51st Paris Salon de l'Automobile is reminiscent of the London Commercial Motor Show which it overlaps on timing this year by almost a week. There are many new goods models, most having higher-powered engines than previously used and one having a new V8 unit, whilst on the passenger side there are designs with vertical and horizontal engines at the rear, some with horizontal engines in the middle of the chassis and others with horizontal engines forward of the front axle. One of the most interesting aspects of the Show for a visitor from the U.K., however, is the design and layout of braking systems (also as at Earls Court); with a maximum of 19 tons for a fourwheeler and 35 tons for the four-axle artic, France has the highest legal-weight limits in Europe and more stringent braking requirements than any other country as a result. But one important way in which the Paris Show differs fro its London counterpart is in its international character; where at Earls Court the only heavy Continental vehicles were tl Mercedes-Benz 1620 tractive unit and the Berliet breakdov vehicle (shown by Alvis), in Paris virtually every Enamel maker is represented. As in 1962, there are 10 British man facturers taking part in the exhibition, but as a result of lin] made with Continental manufacturers since that time on Land-Rover and Austin Gipsy vehicles appear on stands devote solely to British-produced vehicles. The others exhibit wi their associates—A.E.C. and B.M.C. with Willeme; Leylan Albion and Scammell with Hotchkiss; Commer and Karri with Henschel; whilst Bedford and Thames appear on tl stands of their American parents or French associate.
The major producers of heavy goods vehicles in France a Berliet, Unie and ,Saviem, and all are exhibiting new model Unic's passenger vehicle interest is limited to models ma( by O.M. of Italy, for which it is the French distributor. With higher-power engines making the news at the Paris how, the headlines must be about the new V8 direct-injection iesel unit in the hoard four-Wheelers introduced by Unic. 'ollowing the usual Unic practice there are normaland forward control versions. of the Izoard: with tractive-unit and rigidchassis models of both. The rigids are designed for a gross weight solo of 19 tons or, with a drawbar trailer, at a gross train weight of 35 tons, the figure specified for the tractive units. Unladen weight of the lzoard chassis is about six tons,
CapacitY of the V/3 engine is 10.77 litres, bore and stroke dimensions being 119 mm. (4-69 in.) and 121 mm. 14-76 respectively. Maximum output is 225 b.h.p. at 2.600 this being the S.A.E. gross figure. which is the rating always quoted by French manufacturers and is usually about 11) per cent higher than the net installed b.h.p. commonly used in the
U.K.. Apart from the engine, the Izoard has almost the same specification as the Esterel four-wheel rigids and tractive units designed for the same gross weights and introduced at the 1962 Paris Show, with a six-cylinder, 8.1-litre, in-line diesel giving an output of 175 b.h.p. In the Izoard, the V8 drives through a Porsche eight-speed synchromesh gearbox, the eight ratios being obtained by having a four-speed main box plus an extra two-speed train which is actuated by air pressure. Performance details given by Unic put the maximum speed of the Izoard rigids at from 45 m.p.h. to 60 m.p.h., according to the rear-axle ratio, and from 45 m.p.h. to 50 mph. for the tractive units, which are not supplied with the highest of the three rear-axle ratios available on the rigids.
Of particular interest in Britain are the new vehicles shown by Berliet because of the the recent extension of the agreement between the French concern and Alvis Ltd. to cover the sale in the U.K. qf civilian vehicles as well as military designs. No plans are settled yet for specific models, but any Berliet vehic that is required by a British operator will be imported and there is sufficient demand for a particular model, then Alv will manufacture it in this country.
The new Berliet goods chassis are the TR 12 four-whe tractive unit for 35 tons g.t.w. and the GR. 12 four-wheel rig, for 19 tons gross solo or 35 tons g.c.w. Both are made lighter-weight versions, with different suspension and tyre ar wheel equipment as the TF 12 for 32 tons g.t.w. and the GF for 16 tons gross solo and 32 tons g.c.w. All four hal a new six-cylinder, in-line, direct-injection diesel—the M635/4
producing 240 b.h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m. Of interest on this engine, which is given the name Majic, is that the " M" system of air swirl in the cylinders developed by Dr. Meurer of M.A.N., Germany, is incorporated. Capacity is 12-03 litres, bore and stroke dimensions being 135 mm. (5.31 in.) and 140 mm. (5.52 in.) respectively.
Transmission on the new models is through a six-speed overdrive gearbox and the air-brake system has Italian Magneti Marelli control valves which are produced in France by Paul Dahl. The main control valve unit is not connected mechanically to the brake pedal, but instead a hydraulic system links the pedal to the valve tor actuation of the brake circuits.
The braking systems used on the new Berliet and Unic models make for interesting comparisons with the vehicles designed for use at the increased weights now permitted in the U.K. and seen at the Earls Court .Show. As with all maximumcapacity vehicles shown in Paris (and therefore designed for use on French roads) they have to conform to the very strict French laws on this subject, although there are detail differences between makes in respect of components and so on. There is one big difference between rigids and tractive units: the former are required to have dual circuits for front and rear brakes. whereas tractive units need to have a single system only. The reason for this is that a tractive unit can be a load carrier onlY when coupled to a semi-trailer--and the trailer brakes, being on a separate circuit from those of the tractive unit, complete the split system. The same will apply to a tractor/trailer combination—which most four-wheel rigids are specifically designed for—but the tractor can he used solo and in this condition a split braking system is required. Incidentally, this requirement applies in France to rigids of 16 tons gross and above and p.s.v: of 8 tons gross and q:tove.
An emergency system is also necessary—the new British Regulations are similar to the French in this respect—so to comply with the law, rigids have a dual reservoir for the front and rear service brakes and up to three single reservoirs---one for the emergency circuit, one for the trailer brakes and a
third if an auxiliary such as an air-assisted clutch or gearchange is incorporated. Apart from a single reservoir for the service brakes, the same four units are fitted to tractive units. It will be noted that the reservoir for the trailer or semi-trailer brakes is mounted on the prime mover--there is a reservoir on the semi-trailer or trailer but only for emergency use in the event of breakaway or the like. The emergency circuit of the tractor is connected to the trailer to make a three-line system, and from the chassis exhibited at the Paris Show it appears that there is virtually an exclusive use in France of doubletelescopic brake cylinders to provide service and emergency functions. There were not many vehicles with the doubleor triple-diaphragm chambers which appeared in many new models at Earls Court I was told that the double-telescopic cylinders—which have a diaphragm for the service brake and a piston inside a secondary. internal cylinder for emergency—are preferred in France as they are considered more reliable than triple-diaphragms. Emergency brakes are always applied to rear axles (plus the trailer axles on artics or combinations) and the French engineers to whom I spoke thought it nonsense to have the front axle of a tractive unit braked and not the rear axle, in an emergency circuit. This has been suggested for British vehicles on the grounds of improved stability, but the French views were that this would certainly lead to jacknifing; as one gentleman put it: " How often is an outfit in a straight line when it is braked?
Saviem has not made any great changes to its maximumcapacity goods models for the Paris Show, although an important change to the 1M 200, 35-ton tractive-unit or 19-ton-gross solo. 35-ton-g.e.w. four-wheeler is the fitting of a M.A.N. 2146 HM 3F diesel engine producing 210 b.h.p. at 2,1.00 r.p.m. instead of the Henschel unit of a slightly lower output used before. In the concern's lower weight range, a new introduction is the S 9, 14-8-ton-gross solo, 25-ton-g.c.w. four-wheeler which is also made as a tractive unit for 25 tons gross train weight. The S 9 has a 150 b.h.o, engine and six-speed synchromesh gearbox. Also new for the Show is the S 8 four-wheeler, this being a heavier version of the S 7 11-ton solo 17-ton g.c.w. model being designed for 12-ton gross as a rigid and 19 tons gross train as a tractive unit. Although having an increased weight rating. the 126 b.h.p. engine and five-speed synchromesh gearbox used in the S 7 are retained for the S 8. On these new models and on other existing units featured in Paris, Saviem is showing a new cab which has a similar design to the earlier model, but is improved in seating and trim. (Continual overleaf) Both Saviem and Berliet are showing new passenger vehicles in Paris, the more important exhibits of the two concerns being single-deckers designed specifically for use by the Paris transport undertaking, R.A.T.P. The Saviem model is the SC 10 which was only in prototype form at the 1962 Paris Show. it was exclusively described in The Commercial Motor of October 12, 1962. Now a large number have been ordered by R.A.T.P. The new Berliet single-decker is the PC M, which is to a similar specification as the Saviem SC 10: like London Transport in this country, R.A.T.P. lays down strict specification requirements. One of these is that the engine has to be a horizontal underfloor unit forward of the front wheels.
A M.A.N: unit is used on both designs. In the case of the Berliet model this is because the cylinders have to point to the left-hand side and the existing Berliet units were unsuitable. The engine has a rating for both models of 150 b.h.p., and whilst it would appear that having the engine located right at the front of the vehicle would tend to overload the front axle, the fact that Paris buses include a fairly large_ standing area at the extreme rear where the passengers tend to congregate balances out the engine's weight and to a large extent tends to give fairly equal loadings over the front and rear axles. This allows the use of single tyres all round, although axle loadings can be over 7 tons and special tyres are needed.
There are two types available, these being the Michelin E.20 Pilote X" and Dunlop 5 x 20 Stabilia (5 it 20 is the French method of quoting 11-00-20). These tyres have the same diameters as normal 20-in. tyres, but the width is greater than normal although nowhere near as much as low-profiles.
The use of these wide tyres in single formation all round is not new for French p.s.v. design, as Berliet has been fitting this layout for about four years and Chausson (now owned by Saviem) was the first concern to use the layout some time before that. Fitting singles all round is not quite COMIT1011 in France and although some operators prefer twins at the rear, Berliet, for example, design their underfloor-engined bus and coach chassis—with the engine located as normal between the axles—to give equal loading on the front and rear axles to make the use of the special wide singles all round possible.
Returning to new goods models. Hotchkiss (who is now, of course, linked with the Leyland Group in the production of Leyland vehicles in France) has made what could be called a serious return to the lighter-weight commercial vehicle field. About 1950 Hotchkiss stopped making cars, and the concern's only interest in the vehicle field before the Leyland tie-up was a 3-ton lorry available with a Perkins diesel engine or Hotchkiss petrol engine. This model continues to be produced, and to fill the gap between it and the Leyland Group vehicles which start at 12.3 tons and go up to 35 tons, a new range of forward-control models has been introduced There are four basic models with nominal ratings of 6, 7, 7-5 and 8 tons, each one being made in three wheelbases and available with either four-cylinder petrol or diesel engines. These engines are newly designed and both are based on the same block and crankcase assembly, the bores being 100 mm. (3-94 in.) and the stroke 110 mm. (4.33 in.), giving a capacity of 3-456 litres. Maximum output is 91 b.h.p. gross at 3,200 r.p.m. for the diesel, and 131 b.h.p. gross at 3,500 r.p.m. for the petrol. An important feature of the chassis design is the cab, which is well built and well finished internally and—another similarity between the Paris and London Shows —the complete unit tilts. The method of giving assistance to the tilt is, however, quite different from anything seen at Earls Court. as two coil springs, one at each side, are used.
This is the first Paris Show since Hotchkiss has been selling Leyland vehicles in France and a number of Leyland Group models incorporating modifications to make them suitable for operation in France are shown. A good example of this is a Leyland Beaver tractive unit with a 13-ton rear axle. triple-diaphragm brake chambers for the rear axle, four air reservoirs and three-line connections for the semi-trailer.
Recent links by French manufacturers with foreign companies include that of Bernard with Mack of America, and n16
most of the vehicles on the stand are of American origin. A new model, however, is the TD 211 normal-control tractive unit for 35 tons g.t.w. which has a Mack 214 b.h.p. (gross) engine.
A sign of the increasing importance of the Paris Salon, particularly now that the Turin Show is to feature goods chassis only in alternate years—not in 1964—is that Fiat is using Paris to introduce four new models, three goods and one passenger. Two of the goods chassis are heavy vehicles, both being four-wheel rigids designed for use also with a drawbar trailer. The 619 N is, in fact, a prototype developed specially for France with a rating of 19 tons solo and 35 tons gross combination weight and has a Fiat 12-88-litre, direct-injection diesel engine producing 226 b.h.p. gross at 1,900 r.p.m. The transmission is through an eight-speed synchromesh gearbox (four-speed main and two-speed reduction in the same casing) and the cab is a normal-control design with forward entry. The second heavy model is the 643 EP, and this has a solo rating of 16 tons, or 28 tons when used with a trailer. The engine is a Fiat six-cylinder diesel with a capacity of 9-16 litres and produces 180 b.h.p. S_A.E. gross at 2,400 r.p.m. A fivespeed, synchromesh gearbox is used and an option is a twospeed reduction unit which is air-operated as on the 619 N and gives 10 effective forward ratios. The smaller goods vehicle is the 11002TN, which is a diesel-engined version of the existing Fiat van. Fiat's latest passenger vehicle which is featured in Paris is the 309 L. This has a body built by Orlandi and the model shown is a 45-seater with an underfloor engine mounted between the axles. This is a Fiat unit developing 165 b.h.p. (S.A.E. gross) at 2,400 r.p.m., and is a horizontal version of the engine fitted in the 643 EP derated for p.s.v. use.
Two West German manufacturers having exhibits of interest at the Show are Krupp and Henschel. Krupp features normalcontrol models fitted with the Cummins V6-200 diesel engine .which the concern now produces under licence to the American engine company. New for the Show is a 12-speed box which is now a standard fitting on Krupp's models, this being a six-speed unit with an extra train to give high and low ratios for each. Only one brand-new model is featured by Henschel, this being the HS 26 HK 6 x 4 model which is designed for 26 tons solo or 35 ton gross combination weight when used with a trailer. The engine used is an 11.05-litre unit and produces 207 b.h.p. gross at 2.100 r.p.m. The gearbox is a six-speed constant-mesh unit with a two-speed reduction box mounted to it giving 12 forward speeds. The cab is a normalcontrol design, although like Unic models the front axle is set back from the front of the vehicle, making the designation more correctly semi-forward control. Two other chassis exhibited by Henschel have the same 11-litre 207 b.h.p. engine instead of the 152 b.h.p. unit used previously. These are the HS 24 TS sixwheeler and the HS 19 TL four-wheeler, There is interest also on the stand of Volvo at the exhibition, the most important vehicle being the L4951 four-wheeler which was introduced in January this year. There are two models of this design—the Titan and the Super Titan—the latter being shown and having a turbocharged diesel engine producing 255 b.h.p. (S.A.E. gross) at 2,400 r.p.m. This model is sold in rigid and tractive-unit form, the maximum weight rating being 19 tons solo and 35 tons gross when used in a tractor-trailer combination or artic unit. Also shown by Volvo is the latest normal-control version of the L4851, which has a weight rating of 15-7 tons when fitted with a 140 b.h.p. normally aspirated diesel engine, or 28-2 tons when a turbocharged version of this engine producing 180 b.h.p. is fitted.
As usual a large number and variety of semi-trailers are to be seen at Paris. One of the most important recent developments in France has been the Kangourou system of transporting semi-trailers on railway flat wagons of special design and the company developing the system features at the exhibition photographs and models of how Kangourou works. To show that the transport of semi-trailers by rail is nothing new, Coder show a semi-trailer tanker designed for the much older Rail-Route system. This unit has a very squat appearance because the overall height is limited to 11 ft. 6 in. to allow it to get under railway tunnels when carried on top of a flat wagon, but the only modifications are a special front landing gear and fittings to the rear wheels which are designed to locate on runners on the railway wagons.