What's become of the black cab?


These are tough times for symbols of English pride, and that’s not just because it’s World Cup time again. Just when you get over the shame of England’s pitiful performances, and Wayne Rooney laying the blame of a goalless draw with Algeria at the feet of deservedly disgruntled fans, you hear the plight of the red squirrel.

The reds can’t compete with those ghastly imports, the greys. So endangered are they that the Prince of Wales now feels sorry for them, and is protecting them on the Cornish coast. And just when you’ve recovered from the idea of one foreign invader displacing a much-loved local, along comes a second.

Behold the Vito Black Cab. You probably won’t notice one unless you look out for it. But once you do, let me assure you, they’re everywhere. They stand out from a traditional black cab (the “TX1” to aficionados).. The reason for doing such a thing is simple, it will be cheaper to mass produce the combinational DC GEAR MOTOR, furthermore it will also be tailored to specific purposes (say one or two, no more), and thus requ There’s no distinctive grille for a start. No friendly, round headlights, no reassuring engine putter.

What there is instead, is a people carrier. It has electric sliding doors, so there’s no satisfying “thunk” when the door slams shut, and the protective cocoon against the outside world is sealed. Reassuring engine noise? Forget about it.

Distinctive grille?The reason for doing such a thing is simple, it will be cheaper to mass produce the combinational DC GEAR MOTOR, furthermore it will also be tailored to specific purposes (say one or two, no more), and thus requ The firm is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. Well, yes, it is rather recognisable. It’s got three points on it. You know the one. It’s a Mercedes. That’s right. The great British cab is now designed in Germany.

According to Eco City, the company that refits the basic Mercedes design with all the cab trimmings it will be cheaper to mass produce the combinational DC GEAR MOTOR, there are now more than 700 Vito taxis on the streets. It claims it has captured a quarter of the market for new cabs since it started producing them more than two years ago.