1955, London Taxicab YPK 237, Beardmore Mark 7 #trending #viral #shorts #londontaxi #heritagetaxi

Beardmore Mark 7 - 1955 London Taxicab - YPK 237 License Number: 237 Body Windover (Hendon) Passenger Capacity:4 Engine : Ford 4-cylinder petrol (from Ford Consul Car) Gearbox: 3-speed Manual Steering column gear-stick Out of service: 1965 Acquired by the Museum: 2017 London cab specifications were set by the Public Carriage Office of the Metropolitan Police, and for many years the police also controlled certain aspects of London bus specifications. Nowadays this is all controlled by Transport for London (TFL) Peculiarity : The open-air luggage pen & Makers name on the radiator Curious requirements for many years were that a cab must be able to carry a bale of hay as equivalent minimum luggage capacity, and that a 'gentleman' must be able to wear his top hat inside the cab. The required turning circle was 25 feet (7.62 meters). Beardmore had been a popular taxicab builder in the 1920s and '30s, and were also a Glasgow shipbuilding company and built lorry chassis including an early articulated lorry in conjunction with the French company Chenard-Walcker, better known for racing cars. The Windover bodywork uses aluminum panels on a timber frame with a steel bonnet. The brakes use components that were also used in the Jaguar XK120 sports car. Beardmore sold just over 650 of this Mark 7 cab before ending production in 1966. The taxi was donated to the Museum in 2017 by Guy Marriott. Courtesy : London Bus Museum (a living heritage)