71-490: The Austin FX4 is a hackney carriage that was produced from 1958 until 1997. It was sold by Austin from 1958 until 1982, when Carbodies , who had been producing the FX4 for Austin, took over the intellectual rights to the car. Carbodies only produced the FX4 for two years, until 1984, when London Taxis International took over rights and continued producing it until 1997. In all, more than 75,000 FX4s were built.. Over its lifetime,
142-500: A sixpence whatever that is." Gulbenkian had two such taxis built, the second of which was built on an FX4 chassis and was sold at auction by Bonhams for $ 39,600 in 2015. Other celebrities are known to have used hackney carriages both for their anonymity and their ruggedness and manoeuvrability in London traffic. Users included Prince Philip , whose cab was converted to run on liquefied petroleum gas , author and actor Stephen Fry , and
213-581: A Fairway as his own private transport. An FL2 limousine was the official car of the Governor of the Falkland Islands , Rex Hunt , at the time of the Argentine invasion . Hackney carriage A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab , black cab , hack or taxi ) is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise . A symbol of London and Britain,
284-447: A front passenger seat next to the driver, while others reserve this space solely for luggage. London taxis must have a turning circle not greater than 8.535 m (28 ft). One reason for this is the configuration of the famed Savoy Hotel : the hotel entrance's small roundabout meant that vehicles needed the small turning circle to navigate it. That requirement became the legally required turning circles for all London cabs, while
355-556: A million miles each. The Fairway was replaced in late 1997 by the all-new TX1 , which was subsequently replaced in 2002 by the TXII . This in turn was replaced in 2007 by the TX4 . The Austin FL2 Hire Car was the limousine version of the FX4. Introduced at the same time as the FX4, it was aimed at the private hire, limousine and funeral trade and this market was the main reason why the petrol engine
426-518: A new cab. The FX4S was superseded in 1987 by the FX4S-Plus, which had a rear compartment redesigned to allow five passengers, the trim changed to grey and a new grey plastic moulded dashboard was fitted, which featured the instrument cluster and switches from the Austin Metro . This was well received by the trade, as a sign that their needs were actually being listened to. The Department for Transport
497-712: A new model, the Fairway Driver, which was introduced in February 1992. The very last Fairway made, with registration mark R1 PFX (i.e. RIP FX), was built on 1 October 1997 and was presented to the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu . Transport for London (TfL), who had taken over control of the Public Carriage Office , ruled that by 2006 all taxis licensed in London should comply with Euro 3 exhaust emission regulations. The Fairway, and for that matter its replacement
568-543: A third of London's taxi fleet. In October 2019 the first fully electric cab since the Bersey in 1897, the Dynamo Taxi, was launched with a 187-mile range and with the bodywork based on Nissan's NV200 platform. In London, hackney-carriage drivers have to pass a test called The Knowledge to demonstrate that they have an intimate knowledge of the geography of London streets, important buildings, etc. Learning The Knowledge allows
639-623: A £16 million agreement between the London Taxi Company and Baku Taxi Company. Although the LEVC TX is more expensive and exceeds the Japanese size classifications to gain the tax advantages Japanese livery drivers enjoy with the similarly designed but smaller Toyota JPN Taxi, Geely has attempted to break into the Japanese market. Alternatively, while the Toyota JPN Taxi doesn't meet
710-546: Is also the root of the Spanish word jaca , a term used for a small breed of horse and the Sardinian achetta horse. The first documented hackney coach—the name later extended to the newer and smaller carriages—operated in London in 1621. The New York City colloquial terms "hack" (taxi or taxi-driver), hackstand (taxi stand), and hack license (taxi licence) are probably derived from hackney carriage. Such cabs are now regulated by
781-667: Is in Wilmington, owned by The British Taxi Company. There are London cabs in Saudi Arabia, Romania, South Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain and Cyprus, and in Israel, where a Chinese-made version of LTI's model TX4 built by Geely Automobile is available. In February 2010, a number of TX4s started operating in Pristina , Kosovo and Metohija , and are known as London Taxi. In the United States,
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#1732869452741852-512: The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission . The widespread use of private coaches by the English aristocracy began to be seen in the 1580s; within fifty years hackney coaches were regularly to be seen on the streets of London. In the 1620s there was a proliferation of coaches for hire in the metropolis, so much so that they were seen as a danger to pedestrians in the narrow streets of
923-631: The Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002. In Edwardian times, Renault and Unic , but also smaller players like Charron and Darracq were to be found. Fiat was also a presence, with their importer d'Arcy Baker running a fleet of 400 cars of the brand. In the 1920s, Beardmore cabs were introduced and became for a while the most popular. They were nicknamed 'the Rolls-Royce of cabs' for their comfort and robustness. Maxwell Monson introduced Citroën cabs, which were cheaper, but crude in comparison to
994-670: The Sheriffs of the City of London . A black cab was used in the band Oasis's video for the song " Don't Look Back in Anger ." Black cabs were used as recording studios for indie band performances and other performances in the Black Cab Sessions internet project. Ghosthunting With... featured a black cab owned by host of the show, Yvette Fielding . Bez of the Happy Mondays owns one, shown on
1065-561: The police department of the city of Boston has a Hackney Carriage Unit, analogous to taxicab regulators in other cities, that issues Hackney Carriage medallions to its taxi operators. Singapore has used London-style cabs since 1992; starting with the "Fairway". The flag-down fares for the London Taxis are the same as for other taxis. SMRT Corporation , the sole operator, had by March 2013 replaced its fleet of 15 ageing multi-coloured (gold, pink, etc.) taxis with new white ones. They are
1136-504: The 14,700 fleet is zero emission capable. As part of the Transported by Design programme of activities, on 15 October 2015, after two months of public voting, the black cab was elected by Londoners as their favourite transport design icon. In 2017, the LEVC TX was introduced – a purpose built hackney carriage, built as a plug-in hybrid range-extender electric vehicle . By April 2022, over 5,000 TX's had been sold in London, around
1207-442: The 2178 cc diesel engine was replaced by a larger, 2520 cc version. This engine proved to be better for use with an automatic transmission and gradually fewer cabs with manual gearboxes were sold. The petrol engine was discontinued in 1973. This model was available from 1971 through 1982. In 1973, Carbodies' owner BSA , by now confronting imminent bankruptcy, was bought by Manganese Bronze Holdings , who were happy to continue making
1278-582: The Beardmore. In 1930 dealers Mann and Overton struck a deal with the Austin to bring a modified version of the Austin 12/4 car to the London taxi market. This established Austin as dominant until the end of the 1970s and Mann and Overton until 2012. The Austin FX4 , launched in 1958, which stayed in production until 1997 under successive manufacturers is perhaps the most iconic and recognised of all hackney carriages and set
1349-469: The FX3, the FX4 was designed by Austin in collaboration with Mann & Overton , the London taxi dealership that commissioned it (and paid for half of its cost) and Carbodies , the coachbuilder that built the body and assembled the cab ready for sale. The design team included Albert Moore from Austin's engineering division, Jack Hellberg from Carbodies and David Southwell of Mann & Overton. The original design
1420-500: The FX4 for Austin and Mann & Overton ) took over the cab's intellectual property rights when BL (Austin's parent company) lost interest in it; Carbodies thereafter produced it under their own name. The old Austin engine was no longer available because, during Michael Edwardes ' reconstruction of British Leyland , the plant had been sold to India . Carbodies selected the Land Rover 2286 cc diesel engine in its place and also offered
1491-584: The FX4 increasingly became regarded as a design classic , and a visual icon of London recognised throughout the world, to the point where its eventual successors - the TX-series and the current LEVC TX - continue the FX4's basic styling cues and overall aesthetic. The FX4 London taxi was the successor to the Austin FX3 (produced between 1948 and 1958). In its day the FX4 was the most widely used taxi in London . Like
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#17328694527411562-454: The FX4. Detail changes, such as burst-proof door locks and push-button door handles, safety steering and moulded rubber overriders (designed because the original tooling for the chrome overriders had worn out) were implemented. BLMC were in turmoil themselves by this time, so while on paper they were involved with the FX4, in reality they did little more than rubber stamp changes that Carbodies undertook. In 1982, Carbodies (who had been producing
1633-511: The FX4R. In 1984, London Taxis International (LTI) was formed after Manganese Bronze Holdings bought the London taxi dealers Mann & Overton. LTI replaced the 2286 cc Land Rover diesel engine with the new 2495 cc version. The new model was called the FX4S. New rocker switches replaced the old toggle switches on the dashboard, the wipers were controlled by a stalk on the steering column and draught proofing
1704-548: The LEVC TX of London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC). London taxis have broad rear doors that open very wide (or slide), and an electrically controlled ramp that is extended for access. Other models of specialist taxis include the Peugeot E7 and rivals from Fiat, Ford, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz. These vehicles normally allow six or seven passengers, although some models can accommodate eight. Some of these minibus taxis include
1775-618: The London taxi model TXII could be purchased in the United States. Today there are approximately 250 TXIIs in the US, operating as taxis in San Francisco, Dallas , Long Beach , Houston , New Orleans , Las Vegas , Newport, Rhode Island , Wilmington, North Carolina and Portland, Oregon . There are also a few operating in Ottawa, Ontario , Canada. The largest London taxi rental fleet in North America
1846-544: The Public Carriage Office. Elsewhere, councils have their own regulations. Some merely require a driver to pass a DBS disclosure and have a reasonably clean driving licence, while others use their own local versions of London's The Knowledge test. Oil millionaire Nubar Gulbenkian owned an Austin FX3 Brougham Sedanca taxi, with custom coachwork by FLM Panelcraft Ltd as he was quoted "because it turns on
1917-682: The TX1, used the same Nissan engine which complied with Euro 2. Most proprietors were reluctant to get rid of their very reliable and economical Fairways. In the face of pressure from the trade, TfL allowed different conversions systems to be developed that could be fitted to the Nissan engine to make it comply. These were the STT Emtec Clean Cab turbocharger system and the Van Aaken exhaust gas recirculation system. Only 80 Austin and Rover-engined cabs remained on
1988-668: The UK edition of Pimp My Ride . Noel Edmonds used a black cab to commute from his home to the Deal or No Deal studios in Bristol . He placed a dressed mannequin in the back so that he could use special bus/taxi lanes, and so that people would not attempt to hail his cab. The official car of the Governor of the Falkland Islands between 1976 and 2010 was a London taxi. Between 2003 and 1 August 2009
2059-670: The UK, for example in Cockington , Torquay . The town of Windsor, Berkshire , is the last remaining UK town with a continuous lineage of horse-drawn hackney carriages, operated run by Windsor Carriages, the licence having been passed down from driver to driver since the 1830's. The original hackney licence is in place, allowing for passenger travel under the same law that was originally passed in 1662. The city of Bath has an occasional horse-drawn Hackney, principally for tourists, but still carrying hackney plates. Though there has never been law requiring London's taxis to be black, they were, since
2130-641: The area was historically marshy and not well-suited for keeping horses. The American Hackney Horse Society favours an alternative etymology stemming from the French word haquenée —a horse of medium size recommended for lady riders—which was brought to England with the Norman Conquest and became fully assimilated into the English language by the start of the 14th century. The word became associated with an ambling horse, usually for hire. The place-name, through its famous association with horses and horse-drawn carriages,
2201-631: The basic styling parameters of its successors. Morrises cabs were also seen, in small numbers, but after the Second World War, produced the Oxford, made by Wolseleys . Outside of London, the regulations governing the hackney cab trade are different. Four-door saloon cars have been highly popular as hackney carriages, but with disability regulations growing in strength and some councils offering free licensing for disabled-friendly vehicles, many operators are now opting for wheelchair-adapted taxis such as
Austin FX4 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-533: The black taxi is a common sight on the streets of London. The hackney carriages carry a roof sign TAXI that can be illuminated to indicate their availability for passengers. In the UK, the name hackney carriage today refers to a taxicab licensed by the Public Carriage Office , local authority ( non-metropolitan district councils, unitary authorities ) or the Department of the Environment depending on region of
2343-534: The car to make U-turns in just 7.6 m (25 ft), a requirement for the narrow roads of London. The first FX4, registration number VLW 431, was delivered in July 1958 and went on test with York Way Motors. The official launch was later that year at the Commercial Motor Exhibition. The first model of FX4 was fitted with a 2178 cc Austin diesel engine and a Borg-Warner automatic transmission. In 1961,
2414-615: The city, and in 1635 an Order in Council was issued limiting the number allowed. Two years later a system for licensing hackney coachmen was established (overseen by the Master of the Horse ). "An Ordinance for the Regulation of Hackney-Coachmen in London and the places adjacent" was approved by Parliament in 1654, to remedy what it described as the "many Inconveniences [that] do daily arise by reason of
2485-462: The country. Some hackney carriages have also been exported for use in other countries. The origins of the word hackney in connection with horses and carriages are uncertain. The origin is often attributed to the London borough of Hackney , whose name likely originated in Old English meaning 'Haka's Island'. There is some doubt whether the word hack for a horse was derived from this place-name, as
2556-570: The custom of a passenger's sitting on the right, behind the driver, provided a reason for the right-hand traffic in Savoy Court , allowing hotel patrons to board and alight from the driver's side. The design standards for London taxis are set out in the Conditions of Fitness , which are now published by Transport for London . The first edition was published in May 1906, by the Public Carriage Office, which
2627-430: The definition, licensing and operation of hackney carriages have a long history. The most significant pieces of legislation by region are: Michael Edwardes Sir Michael Owen Edwardes (11 October 1930 – 15 September 2019) was a British - South African business executive who held chairmanships at several companies - most notably motor manufacturer British Leyland in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Edwardes
2698-522: The driver to become a member of the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers . There are two types of badge, a yellow one for the suburban areas and a green one for all of London. The latter is considered far more difficult. Drivers who own their cabs as opposed to renting from a garage are known as "mushers" and those who have just passed the "knowledge" are known as "butter boys". There are currently around 21,000 black cabs in London, licensed by
2769-406: The end of the Second World War, sold in a standard colour of black. This, in the 1970s gave rise within the minicab trade to the nickname 'black cab' and it has become common currency. However, before the Second World War, London's cabs were seen in a variety of colours. They are produced in a variety of colours, sometimes in advertising brand liveries (see below). Fifty golden cabs were produced for
2840-506: The front and rear doors. A six-door version of the FX4S was also built. The FL2 designation was dropped around 1987, but limousine versions of the Fairway were ordered, the most prominent being that belonging to the Crown Prince of Tonga . The FL2 and the FX4 were also sold to private customers. FL2 customers included Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Laurence Olivier . Stephen Fry owned
2911-448: The inside for the passengers and two on the outside (one for a servant and the other for the driver, who was popularly termed the Jarvey (also spelled jarvie )). For many years only coaches, to this specification, could be licensed for hire; but in 1814 the licensing of up to 200 hackney chariots was permitted, which carried a maximum of three passengers inside and one servant outside (such
Austin FX4 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-431: The internal combustion engine to vehicles for hire in 1897. In fact there was even London Electrical Cab Company : the cabs were informally called Berseys after the manager who designed them, Walter Bersey . Another nickname was Hummingbirds from the sound that they made. In August 1897, 25 were introduced, and by 1898, there were 50 more. During the early 20th century, cars generally replaced horse-drawn models. In 1910,
3053-456: The introduction of the first accessible taxi in 1987. On 14 December 2010, Mayor of London Boris Johnson released an air quality strategy paper encouraging phasing out of the oldest of the LT cabs, and proposing a £1m fund to encourage taxi owners to upgrade to low-emission vehicles. Since 2018, all newly registered taxis in London must be zero emission, and as of December 2023 more than half of
3124-550: The late increase and great irregularity of Hackney Coaches and Hackney Coachmen in London, Westminster and the places thereabouts". The first hackney-carriage licences date from a 1662 act of Parliament , the London and Westminster Streets Act 1662 ( 14 Cha. 2 . c. 2) establishing the Commissioners of Scotland Yard to regulate them. Licences applied literally to horse-drawn carriages, later modernised as hansom cabs (1834), that operated as vehicles for hire . The 1662 act limited
3195-563: The licences to 400; when it expired in 1679, extra licences were created until a 1694 act imposed a limit of 700. The limit was increased to 800 in 1715, 1,000 in 1770 and 1,100 in 1802, before being abolished in 1832. The 1694 Act established the Hackney Coach Commissioners to oversee the regulation of fares, licences and other matters; in 1831 their work was taken over by the Stamp Office and in 1869 responsibility for licensing
3266-511: The manual transmission from the Austin Gipsy was added as an option. From 1962, the Austin 2199 cc petrol engine was available. However, almost all FX4 taxis were fitted with a Diesel engine. With the sudden demise of the intended replacement in 1969, the cab was revised and updated to address shortcomings of the original. The original Austin design had a small rear light cluster and roof-mounted turn indicators (commonly known as "bunny ears"). On
3337-544: The number of motor cabs on London streets outnumbered horse-drawn growlers and hansoms for the first time. At the time of the outbreak of World War I , the ratio was seven to one in favour of motorized cabs. The last horse-drawn hackney carriage ceased service in London in 1947. UK regulations define a hackney carriage as a taxicab allowed to ply the streets looking for passengers to pick up, as opposed to private hire vehicles (sometimes called minicabs ), which may pick up only passengers who have previously booked or who visit
3408-461: The only wheelchair-accessible taxis in Singapore, and were brought back following an outcry after the removal of the service. By 2011 a thousand of a Chinese-made version of LTI's latest model, TX4, had been ordered by Baku Taxi Company. The plan is part of a program originally announced by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Transportation to introduce London cabs to the capital, Baku . The move was part of
3479-499: The original-type 2520 cc diesel engines re-imported from India. Because these vehicles used refurbished chassis and suspension components, they were required to have a registration mark starting with the letter Q rather than the current year letter and thus this model was known as the FX4Q. All were fitted with automatic gearboxes, but not the power steering fitted to the FX4R. Sold by the dealer Rebuilt Cabs Ltd, they were marginally cheaper than
3550-555: The passenger capacity or turning radius Conditions of Fitness required by Transport for London , it does meet the emissions and accessibility requirements that may make it an ideal option for cities outside of London without the seating requirements or as a private hire vehicle while still evoking the familiar black cab profile. During the 2008 Olympic Games , there were about 100 Hackney carriages were operating in Beijing. There have been different makes and types of hackney cab through
3621-504: The performance of the cab dramatically. Whilst powerful and reliable, the Perkins conversion gained a reputation for being noisy at idle and, mistakenly, for causing cracks in the chassis. The chassis problem, which was also occurring on late model Austins, was traced to a manufacturing fault. In order to regain lost sales due to the FX4R's failure, Carbodies took old chassis and suspension components and refurbished them, fitting new bodywork and
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#17328694527413692-558: The revised model, the rear wings were modified with less prominent tailfins to accept the taillights and turn indicators from the MkII Austin 1100/1300 . Front indicators were also provided below the headlights and repeater indicators fitted to the front wings. and "bunny ears" were abandoned. More important to the drivers of the FX4, the interior was also revised. Sound deadening, black vinyl seats and an altered partition (with an additional 4 inches of legroom) were warmly welcomed. In 1971,
3763-458: The road, which made it uneconomical to develop conversions for them so they were granted an exemption. Although some owners of older Fairways got rid of them, many owners opted to spend almost £2,000 having their cabs converted. They did this rather than buy a new or second-hand TXII, which was considered to be very unreliable. In late 2009, only six of the earlier Rover or Austin-engined cabs remained in service on-street, most having covered more than
3834-467: The roof for luggage. As such they remained in use as the standard form of four-wheeled hackney carriage until replaced by motorised taxi cabs in the early 20th century. A small, usually two-wheeled, one-horse hackney vehicle called a noddy once plied the roads in Ireland and Scotland . The French had a small hackney coach called a fiacre . Electric hackney carriages appeared before the introduction of
3905-521: The similar-sized Land Rover petrol engine as an option. The new model was branded the FX4R, with R standing for Rover. The FX4R had some improvements over the previous FX4 models, including power steering and full servo brakes, but its performance and reliability were poor and the cab gained a bad reputation. Some proprietors replaced the Land Rover engine with the Perkins / Mazda 2977 cc diesel, which improved
3976-473: The standard two-wheel hackney carriage and remained in use into the 20th century. In 1836 the Clarence was introduced to London's streets: a type of small four-wheel enclosed carriage drawn by one or two horses. These became known as 'growlers' because of the sound they made on the cobbled streets. Much slower than a hansom cab, they nevertheless had room for up to four passengers (plus one servant) and space on
4047-428: The taxi operator's office. In 1999, the first of a series of fuel cell powered taxis were tried out in London. The "Millennium Cab" built by ZeTek gained television coverage and great interest when driven in the Sheraton Hotel ballroom in New York by Judd Hirsch , the star of the television series Taxi . ZeTek built three cabs but ceased activities in 2001. Horse-drawn hackney services continue to operate in parts of
4118-422: The years, including: In October 2011 the company Eyetease Ltd. introduced digital screens on the roofs of London taxis for dynamically changing location-specific advertising. 2011 saw the launch of many digital hailing applications for hackney carriages that operate through smartphones, including GetTaxi and Hailo . Many of these applications also facilitate payment and tracking of the taxicabs. Laws about
4189-409: Was added to the bottoms of the doors and black rolled steel bumpers fitted, but basically it was an updated version of the cab that had been around for almost 30 years. At this time, Carbodies were developing a replacement for the FX4, the CR6, which is why this 'stopgap' FX4S was introduced. However, the CR6 was abandoned in 1985 and MBH decided to carry on making the FX4 until such time as it could fund
4260-440: Was appointed to the UK's National Enterprise Board , a quango whose role was to provide financing to large UK state-owned enterprises (or nationalised industries), including the country's ailing motor giant, British Leyland , when it was established in 1975. In 1977, he was appointed as chief executive of British Leyland, and within two weeks he became chairman as the company's board was 'pruned' from 13 to 7 members. In 1979, he
4331-487: Was born in Port Elizabeth , and was matriculated from St. Andrew's College in 1947 before graduating from Rhodes University . Edwardes began his career in 1951 as a management trainee for battery manufacturer Chloride . In 1966, he served as the general manager of Alkaline Batteries, one of the group's operating companies at Redditch , Worcestershire, UK. He later joined the Chloride main board, became chief executive in 1971 and remained in that position until 1977. He
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#17328694527414402-517: Was by Austin's Eric Bailey and it was engineered for production by Carbodies' Jake Donaldson. It would be the first London taxi to go into production that had four doors, since earlier London taxis had featured a luggage platform that was open to the elements on the pavement/sidewalk side in lieu of a front passenger seat. Like the FX3, the FX4 had a separate chassis, but with independent front suspension and dual-circuit hydraulic brakes. FX4 front steering feature Ackermann steering geometry which allowed
4473-408: Was due to local authorities insisting on wheelchair accessible cabs being used in their areas. As part of a programme to develop a replacement model, AP Lockheed were commissioned to design and develop front disc brakes, and in conjunction, GKN designed a new suspension system to allow disc brakes to be fitted whilst maintaining the mandatory 7.6 m turning circle. These modifications were fitted to
4544-495: Was introduced. It was fitted with a 2,664 cc Nissan TD27 diesel engine, although in the beginning, buyers could also opt for the old, 2.5-liter Land Rover diesel unit. The new engine made the FX4 a faster and more reliable cab. It had full wheelchair accessibility, in line with a new law that came into force in January 1989. The Fairway enabled LTI to sell to overseas markets, as well as move into provincial UK markets they had not been able to tackle. Much of this increase in sales
4615-409: Was keen to see wheelchair accessible taxis and the FX4W wheelchair conversion, which was available from early 1986, enabled the FX4 to provide that facility. In this, the kerb side passenger door was made capable of opening 180° and the nearside part of the partition could be moved forward to accommodate the rearward facing wheelchair in place of the nearside tip-up seat . In February 1989, the Fairway
4686-486: Was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours . The next year, he attracted criticism for a speech to the CBI Conference in which he said, "If the Cabinet do not have the wit and imagination to reconcile our industrial needs with the fact of North Sea oil , they would do better to leave the bloody stuff in the ground". His tenure at British Leyland lasted until 1982, when he was replaced by Harold Musgrove . In 1982, on his retirement from British Leyland as CEO, Edwardes
4757-516: Was offered in the vehicle. It had forward-facing occasional seats and a second front seat, and carried no roof sign. It could also be ordered with special trim at extra cost. It was also the base of a few hearses. The FL2 was relaunched in 1982 as the FL2 London Limousine, based on the FX4R. Air conditioning was offered as well as a wider range of luxury interior options, including a cocktail cabinet and custom sound systems. Three stretch versions were built, with four doors and an 18-inch extension between
4828-413: Was passed on to the Metropolitan Police . In the 18th and 19th centuries, private carriages were commonly sold off for use as hackney carriages, often displaying painted-over traces of the previous owner's coat of arms on the doors. There was a distinction between a general hackney carriage and a hackney coach , which was specifically a hireable vehicle with four wheels, two horses and six seats: four on
4899-540: Was presented with a British racing green Jaguar XJS . He later had this car shipped to South Africa, where he used it for board meetings at General Motors South Africa in 1988. In 1984, he became chairman of computer manufacturer ICL , but resigned six months later when the company was acquired by STC . He then became chairman of Dunlop Holdings until its 1985 sale to BTR plc , briefly returned to Chloride as chairman in 1986, and in 1988 became non-executive chairman of Charter Consolidated . From 1984 to 1993, Edwardes
4970-530: Was the popularity of these new faster carriages that the number of licences was doubled the following year). Shortly afterwards even lighter carriages began to be licensed: the two-wheel, single-horse cabriolets or 'cabs', which were licensed to carry no more than two passengers. Then, in 1834, the hansom cab was patented by Joseph Hansom : a jaunty single-horse, two-wheel carriage with a distinctive appearance, designed to carry passengers safely in an urban environment. The hansom cab quickly established itself as
5041-529: Was then part of the Metropolitan Police . These regulations set out the conditions under which a taxi may operate and have been updated over the years to keep pace with motor car development and legislation. Changes include regulating the taximeter (made compulsory in 1907), advertisements and the turning circle of 8.535 m (28 ft). Until the beginning of the 1980s, London Taxis were not allowed to carry any advertisements. The London Taxis fleet has been fully accessible since 1 January 2000, following
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