ERF:
coomsey:
I appreciate that ERF. So if the designers had not been overruled and the normal proving process had been followed do you believe they would have had a decent engine? If so would they have had a ground breaking success on their hands? N more importantly would it have saved BL? Difficult questions to answer but intriguing for me. Cheers PaulI know the AEC V8 engine inside out, and not only do I believe that Paul, but people who have spent their entire professional life developing Diesel engines believe it was so very close to being a success too. A missed opportunity if ever there was one.
If it had been developed properly, and the subsequent turbo charging applied to it, AEC’s plan of using the engine right through the 1970’s and beyond would have been realised. No question about that.
As to your other question, I don’t really feel qualified to speculate - perhaps ‘gingerfold’ will give us his hypothetical thoughts on a Leyland Truck & Bus operation WITH a successful AEC V8 on their hands, and how that could have panned out for the group?.
Exceptional foresight scuppered by a bit of short term thinking possibly? In the mid 70s Les a mechanic said to me that if a diesel engine could do more than 2100 rpm it would eventually destroy itself. Is that nonsense? I ask cos the V8 n the 500 ,of which I had 3 of, would be in the frame. Cheers Paul