Alvis to boost civvy trucks
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by Steve Banner
• Defence industry manufacturer Alvis Industries aims to develop Unipower's civilian heavy haulage range now it has acquired it. "We're trying to broaden ourselves and become much less dependent on defence sales, and that's one way of doing it," says Alvis group business development manager Richard Wigley.
"We believe that Unipower has the best design team working on heavy wheeled vehicles in the UK, and we're interested in the potential of the civilian C series. We can supply the financial resources and we are especially strong in export markets."
Military business will not be neglected, says Wigley. Ownership of Watford-based Unipower will allow Alvis to tender for a major order for RAF airfield crash-tenders. The group also wants to increase sales of civilian versions.
Unipower was already planning to launch the C series later this year (CM 3-9 February). It has a 6x6 and a 6x4 in build at present. Production will continue at Watford, says Wigley, and at Unipower's Tipton factory which builds dump trucks and reconditions military vehicles. Tipton is under used and could be used to help Unipower handle a major contract placed by the Ministry of Defence for 129 8x8 military chassis with bridge launching systems.