THE FIRST PARADE OF THE SEASON.
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Glorious Weather Favours the Fifteenth Annual Parade in London of the C.M.U.A.
THE SEASON of parades of commercial motor vehicles has been opened by the fifteenth of the series organized in London and the home counties. The provinces have taken up the idea underlying these parades, recognizing that they tend to inereaee the interest of the driving staff in the swell-being of the machines in a Beet, whilst the limiting of the competition to teams creates an incen tive to good work throughout a fleet, as every driver desires to show that his vehicle is qualified for inclusion in the team at the annual parade.
The last of the pre-war parades, held in 1914, drew the enormous entry of 487 steam and petrol vehicles, hut, by then, the parade had become unwieldy, and it was decided in future to limit the entrants to teams of no fewer than six vehicles. Last year's competition drew together 150 vehicles, and the silver challenge cup presented by The:Commercial Motor in 1910 was awarded to Gannon and Gaze, Ltd. 's. team of Fodeia wagons. Unfortunately, Messrs. Caemon and Gaze were not able to enter. a team this year, and, of thaw who competed last year, the British Vacuum Cleaner Co.,,Ltd. Moreland, Trayne and Co.,Ltd., and the South Metropolitan Gas Co. were not competing in this year's contest. Newcomers to the parade, as compared with last year's entrants, Were the Angle American Oil Co., Ltd. ; the 13ritish Petroleum Co., Ltd. ; Smith, Garrett and Co., Ltd.; Spratt's Patent, Ltd.; Peter Walker and Son, Ltd., all of whom enter one team ; Beek and Pollitzer, Ltd., and Lipton, Ltd., each of whom enters two teams; and Schweppes, Ltd., who enter three teams. The Gas Light and Coke Co. entered nine teams (54 vehicles) last year ; this year they showed only 24 of their vehicles. The British and Argentine Meat Co., Ltd. entered two teams (12 vehicles) in place of one team fast year, and the Westminster City Council entered three teams (18 vehicles) or six vehicles more than they entered last year. There were competing in this year's. 'parade 40 steam and 140 petrol vehicles. Teams made up of a single make • were.: —AngIo-American Oil Co., Ltd. (Thornyeroff9 ;. British and Argentine Meat CQ., Ltd. (Leyland); Higgs and Hill, Ltd. (Dennis); Lipton, Ltd. (Leyland); • Schweppes, 'Ltd. (Thornyeroft): Shell-Mex, Ltd. (Thornycroft, 1 team ; Albion, / team ; Leyland, 1 team); and Westminster City Council (Tliornycroft). The winning team of six Fodens entered by Cannon and Gaze, Ltd., in 1920 had a record between them 00 of .a distance travelled of 818,400 miles. The WestMinster City Council had entered their three old-time Thornyeraft steam wagons, which, between them, had covered 424,600 miles. One of the Fodens belonging to the Sun Flour Mills Co., Ltd., had covered 126,800 miles. This year the Sun Flour Mills Co.., Ltd., bad entered its six long-distance machines, which • were Fodens, their total -mileage being no fewer than .899,400, the two greatest mileages, being 169,800 and 167,800..
Other long mileages recorded by the, vehicles competing in this year's parade were 124,000 by the Napier van belonging to the Gas Light and Coke Co., and 106,400 by the Unic van belonging to the same owners ; 105,400 covered by the Leyland steam. wagon •belong ing to the Westminster City Council; 100,000 covered by the Vulcan van belonging to Spratt's Patent, Ltd. At least 20 other machines had covered mileages well in excess of 50,000, three of the Shell-Mex Co.'s Ley lands having covered 97,000, 85,000, and 63,000 miles respectively. John Knight, Ltd.'s Commer Car had covered 93,000; two of the Sheli-Mex Thornycrofts had covered over 80,000, and one of the Shell-Mex Alloions had covered 83,000. The whole of the Gag Light and Coke Co.'s fleet showed big mileages, running into 70,000, 80,000, and 90,000.
The parade judges were as follow : —Mr. IL A. Bennett, M.Inst.T. Mr. W. F. French ; Mr. W. J. Lobjoit, 0.B.E.„ ; Major-General S. S. Long, C.B. ; Mr. R. C. Lliacdonald, M.Inet.T. ; 'Mr. H. Mayes, M.Inst.T. ; Mr. R. C. Reynolds, 0.13.E., M.Inst.T. e Mr. E. W. Rudd, M.Inst.T. e Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith, M.Inst.T. Mr. G. W. Watson, M.I.Mech.E., M.I.A.E. • Mr. Walter Wolsey, M.Inst.T. • and Mr. F. H. Wort, M.Inst.T. Mr. A. liCrhalesby Windsor, M.B.E., A.M.I.Mech.E., M. I, A . E. , filled his usual post Of chief marshal, assisted by Mr. Cecil S. Windsor and a group of marshals, each of whom had past experience in the work and Was, therefore, able to carry it out expeditiously and well.
Unfortimately two of the judgea were prevented from being present, Colonel Crompton having to go to Yorkshire on private business, whilst Mr. G. E. D. Rails was detained in Birmingham by reason of the coal strike.
One of the curious features about the annual. parade is the fact that it has. invariably been favoured with fine weather, and last Saturday's event was as usual held in glorious sunshine.
The vehicles were arranged anti-clockwise, corn, mencing at the south-west corner of Lincoln's Inn Fields, and being paraded nearly round the square.
The first team to catch the eye (the teams having been arranged in alphabetical order according to the name of the owner), was that of the Anglo-American Oil Co., which struck a colour note for the whole of the south side of the square, viz., Crimson and green. Pratt's spirit and fuel oils were well advertised by five tank wagons and a lorry, all of Thoinycroft make • The first team of Beck and Pollitzer were petrol vehicles, two Burford lorries, a Packard van, an A.E.C. lorry, and two Garford lorries. They looked hard-worked vehicles, but were excellently kept, as also were the six Mann wagons which grouped up particularly well on parade. The British and Argentine Meat Co., Ltd., have been consistent competitors at C.11I.U.A. parades, and are now stan
&Tenzing with Leylands, of whichnine were on parade, the three remaining vehicles of the second team being Burfords. As with all other teams on parade, every effort was made. to secure uniformity and to get the best appearance in the fleet, • It may be remembered that in our report of the 1920 parade we urged The desirability of giving special markings to fleet appearance, perhaps even at the expense of mileage, and we understand that this year the advice of The Commercial Motor was adopted,and that fleet appearance received credit in the marking, whilst the factor of mileage was materially reduced.
The British Petroleum Co.'s fleet, again in crimson and green, included tank wagons and lorries of five tn,skeS, viz., Dennis, Thornyeroft, Karrier, Guy, and Halley. A little change in the colour scheme was observable in Bryant. and May's, fleet, where yellow took the Place of the crimson on the four R:urford lorries, the Albion van and the La,cre van, the last-named being the veteran of the fleet. Gardner, Lockett and Hinton, Ltd., had six of their Allchin wagons on parade, two of them resplendent with the Royal Coat of Arms, and each with its individual name-plate in position at the base of the funnel.
Another change in the colour scheme was introduced by the fleet of the Gas Light and Coke Co., the vehicles being painted olive picked out with a pale green lining. The 18 vehicles shown by this
So far as the numbers of the different makes of vehicles on parade are concerned, the following summary may prove of interest:Totsa number shown, 150; of these 140 were petrol and 40 steam. The petrol vehicles comprised Thornycroft 33, Leyland 23, Albion 14, Burford 9, Halley s, Straker-Squire 8, Dennis 7, A.E.C. 6, Commer Car 3, Napier 3, Lrnic 3, Peerless 3, Selden 3,• Berna 3, Daimler 2, Karrier 2, Fiat 2, Garford 2, Vulcan 1, Palladiiun 1, Guy 1, Packard 1, Lacre 1, Milnea-Daimler 1. The steamers comprised Peden 9, Mann 6, Allehin Q, Garrett 6, Clayton and Shuttleworth 6, Leyland 4, Aveling and Porter 3.
company bore every evidence of careful attention, the two-warriors of the fleet—the Napier and the Uric vans—looking as well as ever they did. Higgs and Hill, Ltd., showed six of their Dennis lorries, and John Knight, Ltd., gave a strong note of uniformity by the painting of the van bodies, these being primrose with crimson lettering. There were three makes in this -company's fleet--Palladiture Straker-Squire and Coramer Cars.
Lipton, Ltd.'s, fleet of Leylands, two Seldens and two Albions looked particularly well. Schweppes, Ltd.'s, first team consisted of six steam wagons, three Aveling and Porters and three Fodens, the "condition of all of them being excellent. The two teams of petroI-driven vehicles belonging o Schweppes, Ltd. consisted of lorries ; of the, first team, one half being Bernas and one half Halleys, whilst the second team were all Thornycrofts.
Drawn -up on the north side of the Fields, with the 'full play of sunlight on the radiators, was the triple team of Shell-Mex, Ltd., -and here the note of uniformity was perhaps strongest throughout the parade. The first six vehicles were Thornycroft tank wagons in their crimson with gold lettering and black lining. The second team. consisted of Albions, and these also were tank wagons, whilst the third team of Leylands was made up half of tank wagons and half of lorries. One little note about the Shell-, Mex vehicles was the careful provisian on every vehicle of a hoard screwed to the radiator base on which the parade number was fastened by drawing pins—a much cleaner job than tying the parade number on with string, which was the more usual method throughout. That they figured at the head of the prize list sairprised nobody.
The popularity of green for coach painting, particularly when crimson and gold are employed for lettering, was instanced in the case of the Smith and Garrett team of Clayton steam wagons. These were all in excellent condition and very well presented.
The team of Spratt's Patent, Ltd., consisted of five AIbions, and the warrior of the fleet, the Vulcan van which has covered just over 100,000 miles.
Closing the northern end of the parade ground were the six Foden steamers of the San Flour Mills. Thaw vehicles are always to be seen busy on London roads, and on parade they presented a smart and workmanlike appearance. Their high place in the prize list was quite ea,turaL
r The west side of the parade ground struck quite different nate, all the vehicles being painted in black or dark green. The team of Joseph Travers and Sons, Ltd., A.E.G. lorries, Selden van and Napier 010
van, being in plain business garb. Peter Walker and Sons had the name of the owners prominently on the driver's canopy, and were loaded up with beer cases and barrels. symbolic of their trade.
The Westminster City Council showed their four Leyland steam wagons, and it was rather a pity
that their number war. not made up to a complete
team of the type. Two Thornycroft petrol wagons were taken to complete the first team, and the re maining two teams were all Thornycroft. The
vehicles were all in splendid order, the view under the bonnet being more than usually attractive, as
the engine and forward side of the dashboard were painted in engine green, and all bright work was polished and burnished. The organization of the parade was excellent in every way. Mr. F. G. Bristow, the secretary to the Association, had made most careful preparation, and everything went off smoothly. Each judge took a partieular feature and awarded marks on condition and appearance, the vehicles having previously been examined in their garages by Mr. G. W. Watson and another one of the judges, who had made allowance for mileage covered, but on a reduced scale fella that adopted last year, whilst allowance was also made for the length of time since the last overhaul and painting, and for the character of employment. The system of marking adapted this year was as follows, the figures given being the maximum under each. head :—For mileage covered 10 marks ; for cha racter of employment 10 marks ; for time elapsed since last painting 10 marks; for presentation on parade 20 marks ; for general condition of vulnerable fittings 10 marks; for condition of tailboard and wings, la marks ; for condition of bodywork 10 marks; for cleanliness of all parts below bonnet (petrol vehicles) 10 marks ; for cleanliness of parts under body and footboards (petrol vehicles) 10 marks; for cleanliness of engine (steam vehicles) 10 marks; far cleanliness of smoke-box, lagging, mud covers, etc. (steam vehicle-s) 10 marks.
On the markings the results were as follow : -The Covritereial Meter Challenge Cup and C.M.LT.A. medal to Shell-Mex team of .Thornycroft'
tank wagons and to Shell-Mex team of Leyland tank wagons and lorries, these two teams being bracketed first. The drivers' money prize-s are peeled, and each driver receives £1 5s. and also the C.M.U.A. Aver medal. The third team was the Sun Flour Mills' fleet of Fealen wagons, each driver receiving a prize of 10s.
The drivers eF
the four fallowing teams were -highly cernmended Shell Mex 'team. of • Albi OD tank wagons ;. Smith, Garrett and Ca.'sClaytan and Shuttle worth .s e m wagons ; Westminster Cl i tay Council first and second teams of Leyland steam wagons and Thornycroft petrol wagons, The Engineer's prize goes to the engineer of Shell Mex, Ltd.