New Life For the London Taxi

Filed in archive British Cars on October 18, 2006

Anyone who's lived in London, or even visited the city, retains an affection for the famous "London Taxi." It is the most recognised, and by far the best, taxi in the world. Once out of service, car collectors buy and maintain them, thus every retired London taxicab becomes a classic. The vehicle in our photo is the newest model, the TX4, launched today, built by LTI Vehicles which traces its history back to Carbodies in 1919. The new TX4 has a cleaner, more efficient Euro IV compliant diesel engine from VM Motori, new transmissions, the addition of anti-lock braking, a smoother ride, user-friendly interior equipment and facilities for the disabled, and still has the famous 25-foot turning circle required by the Public Carriage Office. It is not unusual for a London cab to cover over 1,000,000 miles in a 10 year period. My particular favorite is the Buckingham, which carried luggage on a platform beside the driver, who sat in a one-person cockpit.