New Men surprise at show
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KENT County Show visitors last week had a surprise preview of a new Mercedes-Benz model to supersede the 1418 tractive unit in the UK. Exhibited by Sparshatts of Kent with new "S" registrations, the new 1619S 32-ton unit is a V-6 engined on a wheelbase of 320 cm. (126 in.).
The OM 401 x 10.45 litre engine develops 196 bhp (144 kW) at 2,300 rpm and drives through a Mercedes-Benz eight speed + crawler range change gearbox. Unladen weight of the new unit, excluding the fifth wheel, is 5,310 kg. The show unit, for service with a Kent operator, was coupled to a Seadyke alloy-bodied bulk grain carrier.
Also new to the UK market the Mercedes-Benz 2419/48 24-ton haulage chassis was another of Sparshatts show exhibits. This chassis was collected from the MercedesBenz lorry plant in Germany, driven over by the distributor, and bodied by Sparshatts at Fareham, in under a weekl Also on exhibition was a Ford D 1614 4x4 conversion for the Folkestone Water Company. This unit, shown by Haynes of Maidstone, Ltd, was fitted with an Edbro body.