London International Taxi

London Taxi International is a company Britannique, subsidiary car of the Manganese group Bronzes Holdings. This company is the only manufacturer of Taxi specialized in this role - producing famous the " taxis noirs" from London.

The majority of the taxis existing in the world are Berline S, Monospace S or Utilitaire S arranged for this use.

The company produces 30.000 taxis per annum. From 2008, TX4 will be assembled with Shanghai for the Chinese market within the framework of a partnership with the Chinese manufacturer Geely.

History

The origin of LTI goes back to the carriage-builder carbodies , who produced coach between the two world wars, and decided into 1940 to diversify in the production of taxis, producing as from 1948, in partnership with Austin, the FX3 (already produced in Coventry), which comes to restock a market of the British taxis put in difficulty by the second world war (industrial capacities having been mobilized by the effort of war). Enough quickly, it becomes the taxi most present on the market. Diesel engines are proposed as from 1952.

Model FX4, introduced in 1958 and built, with various modifications, during 39, remains emblématique of the London taxis. The main reason which allowed the taxis specialized to survive vis-a-vis the competition of vehicles of great series hold in the standards of the public carriage office (PCO) of the town hall of London, which delivers the licenses of taxis, and requires vehicles to be approved as taxis which they present an extremely short turning radius: they must be able to make half-turn in a width of 25 feet. No car of great series of it is able.

The TX4

The TX4 is the last generation of the taxis Londoner, built since 2006 to replace the TXII. It takes again the most remarkable characteristics of its predecessors:

the extremely short turning radius, which is invaluable in a dense urban circulation.
very great lifespan, due mainly to an engine of big-engined car (one 2.5 L diesel of Italian origin) regulated in a preserving way.
the cabin of the driver, isolated from that of the passengers, to avoid the risks of aggression.
great guard with the roof.
accessibility, in particular with a slope giving access by a passenger in Wheel chair.

Moreover, this vehicle is in conformity with the antipollution standards Euro IV - it is besides the main motivation of the development of this new generation. However, because of its important weight (approximately 1800 kg), the taxi consumes much gas oil (approximately 10 liters to the 100 km in urban circulation).

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