Driving impressions
Page 62
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by Gibb Grace
THIRTY-TWO different models from Ford' s A-series range were available for driving at the company's Boreham test track during a press review, and I was able to try at least one model fitted with each of the four engines offered.
From inside, all A-series chassis-cab models look very much like Transits and at first I found it hard to believe that some of them were 5i--ton trucks. The standard of trim, the noise level, the performance and the general ease of driving was much more akin to that of a light van than a truck -and from this point of view alone A-series must appeal to many small business owners.
All models weigh less than 3 tons unladen and therefore no hgv licence is needed to drive them and the A04 models at 3.5 tons gross are exempt from the need for an operator's licence.
Smooth,. quiet
Both V4 and Vb petrol engines were very smooth and quiet and even the fourcylinder diesel was quiet enough at 55 mph to make this an untiring speed on motorways. The new six-cylinder diesel, although quiet for an 87 bhp diesel, was considerably noisier than the other three engines and because of its length protrudes into the cab floor. The diesel is obviously intended for the larger fleet operator who is unlikely to be put off by the higher noise level.
No power steering is fitted to any of the models in the range and I heard some motoring correspondents say that the steering was heavy — it is by car standards but not by 5-ton truck standards. At speed the steering is light enough and more importantly is responsive and vibration free.
Many of the vehicles available were not fully laden and it was difficult to get a good idea of braking performance. However, a full road test of an A0609 appears on page 66.