Here’s an interesting proposed new kit. Meet the OX…

It’s the brainchild of Sir Torquil Norman of the Global Vehicle Trust who commissioned well-known designer Gordon Murray (he of McLaren F1 and iStream among much other illustrious stuff) to create a van that can be used in parts of the world where terrain makes access difficult.

GVT describes it as the ‘world’s first flat-pack van’ and although the word ‘kit’ isn’t mentioned the OX requires building (a 12-hour build is suggested) with a set of spanners and an Allen key.

A ladderframe chassis has extra rigidity via bonded-in wooden panels, while suspension is independent all-round with long-travel leading arms at the front and trailing arms at the rear; what GVT calls OxGlide™. Meanwhile the body ius made from ‘engineered laminated panels’. Power comes from a Ford PT22 2.2-litre diesel delivering 99bhp and normally found residing in a Transit van.

The OX is very rudimentary but then that really is the point. Six ‘kits’ will fit in a 40ft shipping container and can be put together on-site. Far flung countries often have stringent import duty on new vehicles so sending kits gets around this issue. Nothing new of course, as Lotus did it with the CKD packages as did Hillman to name but two.

I’m a big fan of Gordon Murray’s iStream concept that offers diminutive future vehicles that display real innovation.  For example, the OX can carry a 1900kg payload or up to 13 occupants including the driver, depending on configuration required. The low centre of gravity and angle of approach would make it ideal for areas of rough terrain, such as when distributing aid in places where even a Land Rover would struggle.

Murray has tipped his hat to his legendary F1 as the OX too has a central three-seat driving position arrangement. Incidentally, the rear bench seats can double up as sand tracks!

The OX has thus far cost £3m to develop and requires further funding to reach production.

Although the idea is admirable, the concept is something that has been visited by kitcar manufacturers in the past. Vehicles intended for African markets included Neville Trickett’s SIVA Mule in the seventies and Bob Egginton of ASD who came up with the Hobo in the mid-eighties.

The latter gathered lots of interest from the intended market with one African nation even sending ministers over to Bob’s Maidstone base to have a test drive. Sadly, although they loved it and wanted a large job lot of them, their views on how the deal would work didn’t match Bob’s! You can read that full story in the latest (Sept/Oct 2016) issue of TKC Mag where Bob is the subject of Industry Greats…

More on this one from www.oxgvt.com ENDS.