1974 Basic Transportation Vehicle
Written by Bill Bowman
The 1974 Basic Transportation Vehicle's (BTV) was designed by GM Overseas Operations especially for assembly and use in developing nations. The major mechanical components, which were more difficult to manufacture, were manufactured by Vauxhall Motors. The BTV was a durable, low-cost general purpose vehicle that was simply engineered so it could be assembled in developing countries, providing employment and teaching production techniques to local people.
GM supplied the BTV’s parts that were hard to manufacture, like the drive train, from its plant in England. A variety of simple bodies for carrying people and cargo could be mounted on a locally produced ladder-type frame and were produced locally as was the sheet metal, which had no curves, for easy production.
This little vehicle was usually the lowest priced four-wheel vehicle in the countries where it was produced and often the first vehicle a person could afford to buy.
The objectives for the BTV were:
- To provide transportation for people who do not have enough money to purchase conventional type vehicles
- To make the vehicle simple, yet adaptable to many personnel and goods carrying uses
- To have a large portion of each vehicle manufactured locally in order to reduce duties and tariffs, as well as reduce foreign exchange requirements
The major benefits to the customer and the country where the BTV is manufactured were:
- Low-cost transportation
- Employment of local people in BTV manufacturing
- Training and development of skills in the metal working trades and growth of the local supplier industry to furnish parts
- Foreign exchange savings through reduced import content per vehicle
Production of the new-type vehicle began in May, 1972 at GM Malaysia, and subsequently was assembled and marketed in Vauxhall Motors LTD. May 18, 1972
Tag Cloud
 |
English |