Bigger and Beti nkfurt Show
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 63
Page 64
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
WHEN German Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ludwig Erhard opened the 41st International Motor Show in Frankfurt last week, he made a strong call for a united Europe and said that Britain's present absence from the E.E.C. was not to be taken as permanent. In this light, therefore, he must have wondered how seriously British commercial-vehicle manufacturers were viewing the German market when he walked round the Show for, whilst there were plenty of British cars, only three makes of British goods vehicles were present. This must have made the Doctor wonder where, for example, the mighty Leyland Motor Corporation was—this was a question I was repeatedly asked myself whilst I was at the Show. I
also asked a similar question two years ago at the last Show: Whatever the lack of British vehicles, German manufacturers have made up for it in terms of interest, whilst other countries represented at Frankfurt include Austria, France, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Sweden and the U.S.A. All told, there are 846 exhibitors at Frankfurt this year, occupying 23 halls' and. 11 open-air display areas, plus a huge commercial-vehicle demonstration park containing 275 machines. In addition to the three British makes of vehicle already referred to (Bedford, Commer-Henschel and Land-Rover), Edbro and York have quite large and impressive displays, whilst British accessory manufacturers are fairly plentiful, including Rubery, Owen Ad., which is introducing its Centrifuse iron-and-steel it brake drums.
the even greater interest in what is always a vast , German commercial-vehicle output has altered paratively slightly since the last 'Show in 1961. In 234,747 goods vehicles and 8,548 buses and coaches luced, whilst last year these figures were 234,370 and iectively. In the first six months of this year 121,015 1 4,074 passenger vehicles were built, showing very ige in the rate of production.
during these periods have been roughly half the luction, but goods-vehicle registrations in Germany ,371 during the first six months of this year, compared i8 for the same period last year. The most popular goods vehicle remains in the up-to-2-ton category, on next, then 12/16-ton, followed by 10/12-ton and II these being gross vehicle weights.
.s design trends are concerned, some are very definite. zirs reveal growing doubt by German makers as to future regulations are going to be in the light of vithin the E.E.C. to adopt a 13-ton axle limit and ;ight of 19 tons on two axles. Some members of the olland, for example—still •feel that their roads are enough for such concentrated weights, but German
the whole appear to be optimistic, and nearly all tant manufacturers are displaying new 19-ton-gross. lers, though in many cases six-wheeled machines of
about the same payload capacity (14 tons or so) have been developed also, so that in effect the manufacturers are backing the horse both ways.
Aside from their hopes of higher gross weights, German manufacturers are now starting to push higher power-to-weight ratios, and many of the new heavy-duty four-wheelers, for instance, have units of 230 b.h.p_ or more output, turbocharging being used in many cases, but not all. One highly respected designer with whom I spoke affirmed that 6 b.h.p. per ton gross was definitely not high enough, and that he was designing vehicles now with a ratio of nearer 8 b.h.p. per ton. Switzerland, of course, is going beyond this even, with the introduction of a regulation demanding 10 b.h.p. per ton next year.
As their markets grow more competitive, German makers are placing more importance on cab comfort, and this is being achieved in some cases by placing the engines under the cab floor. Magirus-Deutz has been doing this for some time with its V-engined-chassis, and because of the engine shape the cab floor lines have been fairly low and engine accessibility reasonable. Mercedes-Benz and Faun vehicles have been developed this year, however, with vertical under-cab power units, and these have very high floor lines, whilst engine access is given mainly by hinged or removable panels around the front-wheel area, below floor level.
German passenger vehicles continue to get better; so much so that I feel they are virtually the best in the world now from the passengers' angle. Continued use of the rear-engine layout thakes these vehicles supremely quiet when luxury-coach bodywork is fitted, whilst extensive suspension developments— which do not always include the use of air springs, though this
is usually the case—produce riding qualities which are second to none. And I say this having travelled in a number of British and German coaches recently, over good and bad roads and in conditions varying from fully laden to virtually empty.
Passenger-vehicle design progress has not been limited to mechanical improvements by any means, and German coach styling is extremely good also, whilst interior layouts have improved correspondingly. Even fully refrigerated air conditioning is starting to put in an appearance in a serious vein.
Aluminium • alloys are still not viewed with favour for passenger vehicles built in Germany on the grounds of cost, but the use of this material—and light steel alloys—is growing in the goods-vehicle field, and there are an impressive number of aluminium-alloy integral van and tank semi-trailers at Frankfurt this year, revealing that at least German goodsvehicle operators appreciate the value of low unladen weight, even if there is a price penalty to pay.
• One manufacturer, StrfiVer, has gone so far as to develop chassisless, light-alloy, self-propelled tankers, using the front few feet of standard Mercedes-Benz and Henschel chassis, which are bolted to the front ends of the tanks, with the single-drive bogie equipment bolted quite independently to the rear ends. In this way adequately powered tankers of 3,900 and 4,400 gal. capacity respectively have been built with unladen Weights of 6.75 and 7.6 tons respectively and without the introduction of too many non-standard bits and pieces.
To deal in detail with all the new exhibits at a Show of this _ size woujd require every page of this journal, so all I can do is make brief references to the more important new products and their significant features. Many of these new vehicles are illustrated in this article, whilst it is intended to reproduce further illustrations in next week's issue.
Taking the exhibits in increasing order of size, therefore, seven manufacturers of light vehicles display new models, two of these being names not previously known in the commercialvehicle world. A complete newcomer is the Eicher company, which is showing examples of its newly developed Express, Transexpress and Farm-Express machines, all of which are powered by an Eicher 3-9-litre, air-cooled, direct-injection diesel engine, a novel feature of which is that each .cylinder has its own cooling fan. The Eicher Express hasor 60-b.h.p. versions of this engine and can operate at 3 tons solo weight (a 1.5-ton payload) although its gearing is such that loads of 65 tons can be pulled.
This model has a Tempo cab, whilst the heavier Transexpress has an 0.M. cab and a 65-b.h.p version of the aircooled diesel. This model can operate at 5-8 tons gross solo weight. There is a tractive-unit version, the train-weight rating of which is not made clear by the makers, and this has a separate air-pressure braking system for actuation of the semitrailer brakes., The Farm-Express is virtually the same as the standard Express, but is to be offered With four-wheel drive later. Eichers have been in production in Germany for about six months now, at a rate of 30 machines a month:
Another new make of vehicle is the little Neckar Pully threewheeler, made by the German Fiat company and having a Fiat 500 twin-cylinder, air-cooled petrol engine mounted at the rear, The Pully is rated for a 13/14-cwt. payload and should find a market in-Germany, where light three-wheelers of this type are by-no means unknown.
VW has recently introduced a 1-ton version of its enormously popular 15-cwt. van. Basically the new vehicle is not so greatly different from the lighter design, but the 1-5-1itre, 51 gross b.h.p. engine is standard, the final-drive ratio is lower, 7-00-14 tubeless tyres are fitted and the gross weight is increased to 2 tons. The 1-4on van exhibited has a one-piece, sliding side-loading door, instead of the twin-hinged doors usually fitted, whilst the bulkhead behind the driving compartment has been abolished and separate twin seats fitted so that the driver can get into the body directly from his seat.
The new Ford Taunus Transit 1500 1-5-ton chassis /in rear wheels is displayed for the first time, as foreseen 'September 6 issue, whilst the Hanomag Kurier and Tempo have been extended also. The Hanomag innovation is aetrol-engine option, this being a 1.797-litre, four-cylinder th a DIN rating of 60 b.h.p., the same output as that of adard 2-799-litre diesel engine. The new Tempo Matador low includes I-, 1-3and 1.6-ton chassis with the B.M.C.
petrol engine as standard, but the option of a new Lag 50-h.h.p, diesel engine..
omplete the new light models, Auto Union-DKW has cod a beautifully styled, 1-ton forward-control van, d by the DKW three-cylinder, two-stroke car engine and front-wheel drive, as in the ease of the model it replaces. an sells in Germany for approximately £640 whilst, by 1, the Neckar Fully van is priced at 1390.
ing to medium-duty vehicles. There is nothing new of al importance in this class, although Lancia has modified Jetta 7-tonner, which now has a 136-b.h.p. diesel and can 4-ton trailer. There is another Italian vehicle on display at the same size, this being the Fiat 643N, which has a .p. engine now.
in the heavy-vehicle class that the new models start to thick and fast. Important new models of this size are displayed by Daimler-Benz, Faun, Magirus-Deutz, Krupp, Henschel, KaeIble, M.A.N. and the French Unic concern, and in deference to Germany's largest and most important goodsvehicle manufacturer the new Mercedes-Benz is dealt with first.
This new type is known as the LP/LPS 1620 and 1920 range, and is rated for 16 tons gross solo in Germany at present, but 19 tons elsewhere. A Daimler-Benz OM 326 220 b.h.p. (gross) diesel drives through a six-speed gearbox into a I3-ton rear axle, and the engine is mounted vertically under the cab floor, the rear-hinged cowling over the engine being less than 7 in. above the height of the rest of the floor. The cab has the type of "
square" styling originated two years ago by the Dutch DAF concern, and as such is both compact and roomy, with two sleeping bunks behind the line of the seats.
The safety aspect has been closely studied and foam-rubber padding is used extensively, whilst switches and handles are recessed as far as possible to prevent injury. These new models have many mechanical components in common with the old 334-series chassis, which under the new Mercedes type-number system are known as the LS and LPS 1620/1920, the first two numerals indicating the gross solo weight and the second two the approximate engine horse-power in tens of b.h.p.
The new Faun LIO Eurotrans four-wheeler has a similar layout to the Mercedes, but its Deutz six-cylinder turbocharged water-cooled diesel engine has a gross rating of 275 b.h.p. The Bussing has recently developed a double-deck version of its Senator integral underfloor-engined passenger vehicle, the example seen here being for Stockholm and having right-hand Faun has a very high floor line, and the only access to the engine is given by two hinged valance panels and a completely removable lower wing pressing on each side of the cab. This model has 12-speed transmission and a 3B-ton train weight rating.
The important new Magirus-Deutz models are the Pluto TE fourand Saturn TE six-wheelers, the tatter designs having a• completely new forward-control sleeper cab which again bears a certain resemblance to that of the DAF. The Pluto has a 200 b.h.p. V-8 Deutz air-cooled engine whilst the Saturn TE has a 235 b.h.p. V-10 Deutz of 15-8 litres capacity, and the maximum speed of both models is approximately 50 m.p.h. The Pinto is rated for 19 tons solo or 38 tons gross train weight, the Saturn for 22 tons and 38 tons respectively.
Krupp is obviously proud of its recently entered agreement with the American Cummins engine people, for the company makes a big point of vehicles powered by these " V " engines, although at the same time saying that it does not intend to stop production of its own two-stroke diesels. Most of the Krupp-Cummins vehicles displayed have 200 b.h.p. V-6 engines, although a new dumper with a turbocharged eight-cylinder 430 b.h.p. engine is shown. Krupp does not actually state that any of its latest four-wheelers can operate at 19 tons solo, but to judge from their build such a weight should be well within the capacity of some of the chassis.
The main news from Henschel concerns its Commer tie-up, which was recorded in last week's issue, and its " divorce" from Saviem, but this company has made modifications to its own heavy vehicles and has introduced the HS 19 four-wheeler, which can operate at 19 tons solo or 38 tons train, whilst another innovation is the HS 22 tractive unit, which is a six-wheeler similar to the load-carrying version formerly made. Six-wheeled tractive units are growing in popularity in Germany as they • have been proved to be more stable than four-wheelers. Henschel also has been improving its cab amenities and pushing up its engine powers, the latest move in this direction being the 6 R 1215 TA 11-litre engine which, with a K.K.K. (HolsetSchwitzer) blower, • now produces 235 b.h.p., whereas its peak ,normally aspirated rating is 192 b.h.p.
Kaelble's contribution to the 19-ton solo market is the new K652LF forward-control four-wheeler, and this has a Kaelble M130 192 b.h.p. diesel and two-speed rear axle. This vehicle is a modification of that shown at the 1961 Show. M.A.N. exhibit two I9-tonners: the 1080H, with 180 b.h.p. engine, and the 10.230 TF with 230 b.h.p. unit, whilst another new design is the 10.212 FS 32-ton tractive unit, which has a 212 b.h.p. diesel_ M.A.N.'s big news this year, of course, has been its engine developments, which were fully detailed in last week's issue.
The remaining important German heavy manufacturer is Bussing, whose main goods-vehicle news is the rather unusual n38 Burglowe Universal underfloor-engined 4 x 4, the chassis frame of which is cranked in a most drastic manner.
Bussing also has a passenger-vehicle novelty in the shape of its Senator double-decker, which is shown indoors as a left-hand-drive 94-seater built for Stuttgart, and in the demonstration park as a right-hand-drive sight-seeing bus for Stockholm. In each case overall height is low for an underfloorengined double-decker, but headroom is extremely meagre.
The remaining new heavy vehicle on show is the French Simca Somport 22-ton six-wheeler, which has a new Unic fivecylinder 6.37-litre diesel developing 132 b.h.p. and driving through a five-speed, synchromesh gearbox. The Sornport has been developed specially for the German market, and it has much in common with Belfort 11-5-ton-gross four-wheelers, although the engine is used in the new Puymorens and Tourmalet 14.5and 16-ton four-wheelers.
Turning now briefly to passenger vehicles, mention has already been made of the new Bussing double-decker, but there are other new passenger models from this concern, including integral single-deckers built by Krauss-Maffei, who used to work exclusively with M.A.N. Another intriguing exhibit is an Italian O.M. coach incorporating Bussing components: intriguing because in Italy Missing • normally works with Macchi. Mercedes has produced a 37-ft.-long version of its 0 317 city bus intended for one-man operation. This is shorter than the normal bus, the smaller dimensions giving enhanced manceuvrability. The bellows air suspension of the original 0 317 has been changed for rolling-lobe air springs.
Kassbohrer's new Setra S125 low-height integral singledecker follows the previous practices of this concern, and has air suspension at front and rear and a turbocharged Henschel 150-b.h.p. rear-mounted engine driving through a Voith Diwabus torque-converter transmission. With 34 seats, the S125 can carry 91 standing passengers, and its unladen weight
is 7 tons. Kassbohrer has been rationalizing its passengervehicle production lately, and the S125 shares 80 per cent common running units with 59, 510, 511, SI2 and S14 coaches.
Among the many interesting exhibits in the open air parks is a new refrigerating system developed by Mr. A. Eggink, of the Dutch Landi-Hartog company. This is shown on an L.P.G.-engined Opel Blitz, and the liquid gas in the fuel tank is passed through a heat exchanger on the engine and then into refrigeration coils in the body at a pressure of about 3 p.s.i., after which the gas is returned to the engine, liquefied and burnt in the usual way. A thermostat by-passes the refrigera tion coils when cooling is not required. This equipment weighs only 110 lb., compared with about 900 lb. for holdover plates of equivalent cooling capacity.
. The Frankfurt Motor Show is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, and closes on Sunday. It is well worth a visit.