THIS ITALIAN IS QUIETLY IMPRESSIVE
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BY A. J. P. WILDING
AMIMochE, MIRTE
FrliE, news that Fiat is to exhibit heavy 1 vehicles at the Commercial Motor Show for the first time came as a surprise to many people for, although Fiat cars and vans have been sold in Britain for many years, the company had shown no apparent interest in the UK as a market for heavies. And although Fiat produces about 40,000 heavies a year, the make is not well known here. So when I was given the chance of going to Turin to carry out a road test of one of the models to be featured at Earls Court, I agreed immediately and I must say right at the beginning that I have rarely been as impressed with a vehicle as the one I tested.
The actual model was a Fiat 693 Ti 6 x 4 tractive unit—with right-hand drive—and this was coupled to a Viberti tandem-axle semi-trailer loaded to a gross train weight
of 38 tons. I have not tested an artic at this weight before but did not find the outfit at all difficult to handle. There was no indication that such a load was being driven, and indeed the character was comparable in many ways to that of a British medium-weight artic. This I put down mainly to the remarkable quietness of the engine, coupled with excellent brakes, steering and suspension. The outfit was also very manoeuvrable; overall length at 44 ft. 9 in. was more than the British maximum, but the Viberti semitrailer had a self-steered rearmost axle which gave the effect of a short-wheelbase single-axle unit.
A full test report will be published in COMMERCIAL MOTOR as soon as possible after the Show but in view of the interest in the Fiat imports I propose to give brief details of this test immediately, and the accompanying panel shows the main results. It will be seen that these are up to the standard of many maximum-gross artics (up to 32 tons) previously tested by COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
The specification of the Fiat 693 TI includes a six-cylinder diesel giving 208 b.h.p. net at 1,900 r.p.m. and 660 lb. ft. torque at 900 r.p.m. and the gearbox, which is mounted independently of the engine, is a four-speed synchromesh unit with a twospeed rear splitter section giving eight distinct forward ratios including overdrive top. The rear double-drive bogie is carried on a twospring suspension to a design which is similar to the Eaton-Hendrickson familiar in the UK. The reduction is through spiralbevel and hub-epicycLic gearing.
In the test vehicle the overall final-drive ratio was 8.754 to 1, which is rather low by
British standards and gave a top speed c just over 40 m.p.h., but this ratio is intende for Italy where much of the country is hill or mountainous. This must be taken int account when considering the fuel consumf tion. The figure of 6.3 m.p.g. was obtaine with the engine at its top speed most of th time. With an axle ratio of around 6 to 1 thi consumption would hardly have changed fc a motorway type run averaging 50/55 m.p.1 And for a run at 40 m.p.h. over the rout used, consumption would have gone up to r least 8 m.p.g. The route was, in fact, quit flat in comparison with those usually use for COMMERCIAL MOTOR tests (aroun Turin there is the choice of level country c mountains) and I would estimate that if di test had been in England with a 693 T having a 6 to 1 axle ratio consurnptio would have been around 7 m.p.g.
Braking performance of the Fiat wa
.eally excellent. The recorded stopping listances of the outfit were undoubtedly mtended because of persistent locking at he forward axle of the semi-trailer, which vas an old unit that did not appear to be in op condition, but except for some slight ocking of one of the rearmost axle wheels mi the first two stops there were only slight narks from all the tractive unit tyres, and his indicated that the maximum practicable 3ffort was being applied. No handbrake tests were carried out, as Fiat use a drum-type :ransmission brake and this cannot be conddered a dynamic brake on a 38-ton outfit. Neither was there a secondary-brake test as the 693 has not got one in the British 'Construction and Use" sense. This is not o say that Fiat's system does not give as much safety as our latest requirements. Each axle and the semi-trailer connection is on z:ompletely independent circuits, each with its own reservoir, so that apart from an Dperating-valve failure there can never be a oomplete loss of brakes; the brake sizes are adequate to obviate fade problems.
Light to drive
I found that driving the Fiat 693 Ti was as easy as it could possibly be. The 5tandard power steering is light and yet has a positive feel with none of the "wander" that is often experienced with this feature, and all other controls are light and well placed. The Fiat cab is a very good design, being very roomy and well fitted. Sound insulation is superb and the only indication that. theengine is running at maximum speed is the needle on the rev counter. Visibility also is very good and the mirrors are well chosen and well placed. I found access to the driving seat easy: there is a forward step and a conveniently placed grab handle. Access to the engine for maintenance is very good when the fulldepth engine cover is raised or removed completely; only four catches hold the cover down.
Fiat's participation at the Commercial Motor Show will be of an exploratory nature, for the company is showing a range of models that it considers likely to be of interest to British operators. My impression of the model I tested is that it would be well received, particularly when the UK regulations are changed to raise the limit for a five-axle artic to 35 tons or more, as they are almost certain to be within the next year or so. It is equally certain that a change like this will require a 6 x 4 tractive unit and I cannot think of one better than the Fiat 693. I would recommend visitors to Earls Court to try one of the demonstration models for themselves.
Dublin order for Scarnmell: Seven Scammell Townsman and 12 3-ton auto-coupling semi-trailers 111 CKD form have been ordered through McCairns Motors Ltd., of Dublin for Cora.s lompair Eireann. The 12 Scrunmell automatic straight-frame semitrailers are 15 ft. long. The units all run on R.25 X 10 in. single tyres, with 10-ply an the vehicle, and 8-ply on the trailer. The total value of the order is approximately i13,000.