Solved - als_058 - Fiat 1100 ELR funeral bus by Ollearo

[als15]

Who made it? On which base? And with which purpose?
A complete answer worths a point.

[als15]

Do Experts have any idea of what is this?

[wingroad]

Looks like a stretched London Taxi

[roger]

The Birch cab

Taxi operators Birch Brothers of Kentish Town, north London, were in the vanguard of the move to diesel power for taxicabs. When the Standard Motor Co introduced the UK's first sub-3-litre diesel engine in 1953, Birch Brothers offered a conversion scheme for the FX3 at an all-in price of £325. Those who opted for the 2.1-litre, 4-cylinder Standard unit could enjoy savings of up to 50% on their fuel bills, so the conversion proved very popular, leading Austin to introduce their own 2.2-litre diesel option on the FX3 the following year.


The one and only Birch cab,
For their next trick, Birch Brothers went one better, and designed a whole new taxi cab. Based on Standard Ten underpinnings, the Birch cab appeared in 1955, and boasted a modern – and in some respects, quite radical – design. Its most distinctive feature was a rear-hinged side door mounted aft of the nearside rear wheel arch, providing access to the luggage compartment from the kerbside. The cab's bodywork was constructed by bus and coach builders Park Royal Vehicles Ltd, who incidentally would become part of the BLMC combine the following decade. The prototype cab (Park Royal body no. B38707) entered service in London, but without sufficient funding to put it into production, no further examples were ever built. However, the fact that the Standard Ten's chassis had been successfully modified to meet the PCO's requirement for a 25ft turning circle led directly to Standard-Triumph engineering a similarly tight tunring circle for the 1959 Herald.

In 1963, John Birch made another bid for a slice of the taxi market, this time using the chassis of the Standard Atlas van as his basis. He again commissioned Park Royal to build the bodywork (body no. 49760), but the project was abandoned after techincal difficulties relating to axle-loads emerged



If this is the one, found it today after looking for another taxi article for a friend who runs a heritage transport company

[als15]

Very interesting story, but is not related with this car at all.

And this is not even a taxi...  ;D

[Carnut]

The one and only Birch cab,
For their next trick, Birch Brothers went one better, and designed a whole new taxi cab. Based on Standard Ten underpinnings, the Birch cab appeared in 1955, and boasted a modern – and in some respects, quite radical – design. Its most distinctive feature was a rear-hinged side door mounted aft of the nearside rear wheel arch, providing access to the luggage compartment from the kerbside. The cab's bodywork was constructed by bus and coach builders Park Royal Vehicles Ltd, who incidentally would become part of the BLMC combine the following decade. The prototype cab (Park Royal body no. B38707) entered service in London, but without sufficient funding to put it into production, no further examples were ever built. However, the fact that the Standard Ten's chassis had been successfully modified to meet the PCO's requirement for a 25ft turning circle led directly to Standard-Triumph engineering a similarly tight tunring circle for the 1959 Herald.

You mean this don't you roger:

www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=12867.0

[roger]

I realised that too late.  ::)

Thought after a second look, the rear lights and wing look more like an american car.

Anyway I can remember the Taxi company in Kentish Town, My old stomping ground, half the family still there.

[als15]

Professionals have any idea about this very particular vehicle?

A clue: it's part of a pair, sharing the same styling.

[75america]

Is it a hearse? (And is the other part of the pair a flower car?)

[als15]

No: it's for live people. But you are close...

[Wendax]

Was it the car to transport the mourners?

Fiat 1900 based? Carrozzeria Accossato?

[als15]

Was it the car to transport the mourners?

Fiat 1900 based? Carrozzeria Accossato?

Indeed! And of course the other vehicle is the hearse, sharing same chassis and same styling.

However, they are neither based on Fiat 1900 nor by Accossato.

[Wendax]

Based on Alfa Romeo 1900?

[als15]

 :shakehead:

[SACO]

Carrozzeria Casale ?

[als15]

No, more obscure and not a hearse specialist at all: these are the only vehicles of this kind I know made by him.

[Allemano]

Based on a Fiat 1400?

[als15]

No, not a 1900 and not a 1400. A little bit older.

[Wendax]

Fiat 1500?

[als15]

No...

[woodinsight]

Coachwork by Bartoletti?

[als15]

No...

[Oguerrerob]

The logo at the Hearse, is it Conrero logo?

[als15]

No, the prancing bull is simply the coat-of-arms of the city of Turin. It's not a big clue... This only means that this hearse was intended to be sold to Turin city administration.

But let's give a little help: the builder of these vehicles was a small manufacturer mainly involved in another type of motor-vehicle production, only sometimes making commercial vehicles and this single (as far as I know) hearse.

[Carnut]

Must be Fiat 1100 based?
Anything to do with Michelotti/Vignale?