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Exclusive furniture specialist Frank Hudson has high expectations of its new Mercedes van.
The High Wycombe company’s Long-bodied Vito 111CDI was supplied by Mercedes Benz retailer Hughes of Aylesbury.
The van has a factory-fitted high roof – relatively unusual in a vehicle of this size – because it is being used to transport large furniture. The extra headroom gives a load compartment height of 1.76 metres.
Frank Hudson produces hand-crafted, top-quality furniture for private and business clients. It is best-known for its beds and dining furniture, which are sold by prestigious stores such as Harrods and are a popular choice with the wealthy and famous.
A third-generation family business founded 50 years ago by Frank Hudson, the company is run today by his grandsons Tim, James and Tom.
Tom Hudson says the Vito, which has a gross weight of 2.77 tonnes, combines a very usable load space with the manoeuvrability of a car.
“For reasons of restricted access we can’t always use lorries for deliveries,” he explains. “So we need a van on the fleet to get into tighter spots, but it must also be high enough to accommodate large items of furniture.”
The Long-bodied Vito with high roof has a cargo volume of 6.5m³ and can carry payloads of up to 1,073kg.
Most of Frank Hudson’s products are manufactured abroad but the majority of the finishing and development of prototypes is undertaken at High Wycombe. From here, the furniture is dispatched to retailers and customers all over the UK.
Tom adds: “We consider ourselves to be a quality company and want to be associated with a quality brand, so Mercedes really fits the bill. If you deal with professional companies, you have to run a professional vehicle.”
International Van of the Year for 2005, the Mercedes Vito is stylish, comfortable and car-like to drive – electric windows, remote central locking and a radio-CD player are all included as standard.
It also bristles with safety features, including the remarkable ESP® anti-skid program and ABS anti-lock braking, and now comes with a class-leading, three-year unlimited mileage warranty.
The Vito is available in three body lengths and with two roof heights, and can be bought as a van, a Traveliner minibus, or a Dualiner, which has a second row of seats and is thus a combination of the two. |
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