Jalopnik: london cab

1937 Beardmore Taxi

Murilee Martin — Sat, 16 May 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Here's the fourth 1930s car I've found down on the Alameda street.

I spotted what appeared to be a London cab parked in front of the hardware store, just around the corner from the '69 Citroën DS station wagon, the 1973 BMW 2002tii, and the 1953 Packard Cavalier. Naturally, I wanted to meet the owner of such a beautiful machine, so I hung around until he emerged from the store.

It turns out that he's the owner of Bear Paw Fiddles, an Alameda shop specializing in vintage violins and mandolins, and this cab is his work vehicle (those of you who drive Taurus or Lumina company cars, feel free to experience pangs of envy). This '37 Beardmore Taxi was built by the the William Beardmore Company in a factory converted to Spitfire production a couple years later, and it survived the London Blitz. It was brought to the United States by a Bay Area Jaguar dealership in the late 1950s, received a Nissan engine swap a decade or three back, and now calls Alameda its home.

This may be the roomiest back seat ever made. The Beardmore has proven to be quite reliable, but it can't really be driven on the freeway; the engine has sufficient power, but the windshield tends to implode at speeds greater than 40 MPH.

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Geely To Build Electric London Cab

Andrew Stoy — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Geely, co-owner of Manganese Bronze, the manufacturer of the London Cab, is reportedly interested in converting the taxis to run on electric power. The Chinese automaker reportedly held talks with London mayor Boris Johnson during the Beijing Summer Olympics, and Geely chairman Li Shufu says "we are doing research on this project." In other words, it seems like a good idea but we don't know what motor we'll use or how we're going to package the batteries in a way that would still allow for passengers. Still, the Chinese have significant electric experience with minibikes and small vehicles — Tang Hua anyone? — so we're not going to doubt Geely's resolve. We just don't want to be the first fares one of these new electric London Cabs picks up.

[China Car Times]

Electric Peugeots Trying To Edge Out London Taxis

Mark Arnold — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:40:00 EDT

At the upcoming British International Motor Show, an electric competitor to the familiar old London Cab will be launched. Based on the Peugeot MPV, the Allied Vehicles E7 is designed for cabbies considering cutting costs. Despite its lithium-ion batteries, range is still limited to 100 miles, which we're guessing is somewhat less if you're cruising around all day at the 60 MPH top speed.

The E7 is said to cost the equivalent of just over $79,000. That's a lot compared to the electric NICE Ze-O at $28,000, or even the $70,000 or so a traditional TX4 taxi will set you back. Especially when you can get a Chinese-built Geely TX4 for even less. But then, maybe the E7 is worth it to cab drivers looking to cut down on emissions and maintenance costs. [TheAutoChannel]

Geely's London Taxi Coming To Detroit Auto Show, Sale In US

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:30:00 EST

Put on your finest top hat governor! Among the cars that Geely will be bringing to the Detroit Auto Show this year is the London Taxi, which as its name suggests is their version of the recognizable black English cab. The Chinese automaker has made a deal with the largest British maker of these cabs (Manganese Bronze Holdings) to produce the classy black boxes in Shanghai on-the-cheap and then hopefully bring them to the US for sale by 2010. The free market works! Below are some photos of the British TX4 version:

Geely will likely also bring versions of the Free Cruiser, China Dragon, Vision and Sea Breeze to Detroit. We'll be there to cover all of the cross-border, cross-cultural fun. [Auto News Europe (Sub. Req.)]