The TX4 is a purpose-built taxicab (
hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab, black cab, hack or London taxi) is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise. A symbol of London and Britain, the black taxi is a common ...
) manufactured by
The London Taxi Company
The London Taxi Company was a taxi design and manufacturing company based in Coventry, England. It formerly traded as London Taxis International and Carbodies.
It operated a coachbuilding business on Holyhead Road, Coventry. After half a c ...
, a subsidiary of
Geely Automobile
Geely Auto is the primary car marque of Chinese group Geely. Listed as Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and controlled through holdings in Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Geely Auto is ZGH's mainstream brand primarily s ...
of China. From 2007 until their liquidation in 2013 it was manufactured by
LTI. It is the latest in a long line of purpose-built taxis produced by The London Taxi Company and various predecessor entities. The design has evolved via several mutations from the
Austin FX3
The Austin FX3 is a taxicab that was sold in the United Kingdom by the Austin from 1948 to 1958. It was designed to comply with the Metropolitan Police Conditions of Fitness for London taxicabs, but was also used in other towns and cities in the ...
of the 1950s. TX4's immediate predecessor is the
TXII
The LTI TXII is a hackney carriage (London hail taxi) manufactured by LTI. It is the second model following the modernisation and re-design of the London taxi that began with the TX1.
The vehicle has a handful of differences from its predeces ...
.
Design
![SHB786K - London Cab TX4 in Singapore, SMRT owned rear view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/SHB786K_-_London_Cab_TX4_in_Singapore%2C_SMRT_owned_rear_view.jpg)
The TX4 features a new front radiator grille, an updated interior design, updated front and rear bumpers, and a different rear vehicle registration number plate surround compared to the TXII. There are now internal headrests as a result of EU safety regulations. On the earlier models there were two headrests fitted to the central partition for the rear-facing tip-up seats, but on the later models these were removed as drivers complained and found them awkward for vision reasons.
The only engine offered in the UK is a 2.5-litre
VM Motori
VM Motori S.p.A. is an Italian diesel engine manufacturing company which is wholly owned by Stellantis. VM headquarters and main production facilities are located in Cento, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
History
VM Motori was founded by two entre ...
R 425 DOHC diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
(rated at a peak at 4,000 rpm and of torque at 1,800 rpm) mated to a
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
545RFE five-speed
automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
. An
Eaton ''FSO 2405 A'' five-speed
manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
is also available.
In markets outside the UK the TX4 is also available with a 2.4
Mitsubishi 4G69 four-cylinder petrol engine, rated at at 5,500 rpm and at 4,000 rpm. The only gearbox available with this engine is a Mitsubishi-built five-speed manual.
As was the case with its predecessors the TX4 is built on a fully boxed
hydroformed
Hydroforming is a cost-effective way of shaping ductile metals such as aluminium, brass, low alloy steel, and stainless steel into lightweight, structurally stiff and strong pieces. One of the largest applications of hydroforming is the automot ...
ladder frame
A vehicle frame, also historically known as its ''chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism.
Until the 1930s, virtually every car had a ...
with a separate body.
The front
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...
, as with its predecessors, is of the
double wishbone
A double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design for automobiles using two (occasionally parallel) wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle ...
type with
coil springs
A selection of conical coil springs
The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself.
Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...
and an
anti-roll bar
An anti-roll bar (roll bar, anti-sway bar, sway bar, stabilizer bar) is a part of many automobile suspensions that helps reduce the body roll of a vehicle during fast cornering or over road irregularities. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels ...
while the rear suspension uses a
solid axle
Solid is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and plasma). The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount of kinetic energy. A solid is characterized by structural ri ...
with coil springs and a
Panhard rod
A Panhard rod (also called Panhard bar, track bar, or track rod) is a suspension link that provides lateral location of the axle. Originally invented by the Panhard automobile company of France in the early twentieth century, this device has been ...
.
Anecdotally the reason for there being no TX3 and the marque number going straight to 4 is because the engine was
Euro 4
The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states and the UK, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a ser ...
compliant, and also for the vehicle to have a connection with the famous
Austin FX4
The Austin FX4 is a hackney carriage that was produced from 1958 until 1997. It was sold by Austin from 1958 until 1982, when Carbodies, who had been producing the FX4 for Austin, took over the intellectual rights to the car. Carbodies continu ...
. The diesel engine was then later updated to be
Euro 5
The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states and the UK, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a seri ...
compliant. Currently the latest version of the TX4 is now euro 6 compliant and fitted with 2.8 litre VM Motori engine. This was the last version of the TX shape until the new shaped ZEC (zero emission capable) electric
LEVC TX
The LEVC TX (previously known as the TX5) is a purpose-built hackney carriage manufactured by the British commercial vehicle maker London EV Company (LEVC), a subsidiary of the Chinese auto-maker Geely. It is the latest in a succession of purpose ...
entered production from 2017.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell London Taxis
London’s new fleet of five hydrogen fuel cell powered taxis provided by the HyTEC (Hydrogen Transport for European Cities) project have now driven in total, fuelled by the capital’s second hydrogen fuelling station at Heathrow airport.
The first phase of the HyTEC project saw the pioneering fleet of fuel cell electric London Taxis, which were developed by the UK power technology company Intelligent Energy and The London Taxi Company, transport 40 visiting dignitaries and the VIP guests of the Greater London Authority during the Olympic and Paralympic period. High-profile individuals included Arnold Schwarzenegger and Barbara Windsor, with some VIPs undertaking more than one journey in the fuel cell electric taxis. Members of the GLA including Mayor Boris Johnson and Deputy Mayors Kit Malthouse, Munira Mirza and Sir Edward Lister also had the opportunity to ride in the cabs.
The current prototype (made with the help of Lotus Engineering) has a range of and top speed of over (it recently achieved at the Millbrook test track). The hydrogen tank can supposedly be refilled in five minutes. Currently £5.5 million has been used to fund the project from the
Technology Strategy Board
Innovate UK is the United Kingdom's innovation agency, which provides money and support to organisations to make new products and services. It is a non-departmental public body operating at arm's length from the Government as part of the United ...
.
Chinese market
![Englon TX4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Englon_TX4.jpg)
In January 2007, an
Extraordinary General Meeting
An extraordinary general meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM, is a meeting of members of an organisation, shareholders of a company, or employees of an official body that occurs at an irregular time.' The term is usually used where the group wou ...
of the
LTI's shareholders approved a joint venture with
Geely Automobile
Geely Auto is the primary car marque of Chinese group Geely. Listed as Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and controlled through holdings in Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Geely Auto is ZGH's mainstream brand primarily s ...
—called Shanghai LTI(SLTI)—to manufacture the TX4 in China. Production started in July 2008. In August 2010 Geely disclosed that Shanghai LTI began supplying SKD (
semi-knocked-down) TX4 to the UK. Geely sells the TX4 cab under their "Englon" brand (phonetically similar to "England"), but have also developed a new version called the TXN.
The TXN, planned to go on sale in the future, has a more bulbous shape meant to be more youthful. A concept version called the Englon SC7-RV has also been shown in 2011; this is intended to be used as a private family saloon.
[
]
TX4 Worldwide
The TX4 taxi can be seen in service in Belfast, Prishtina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
, Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
, Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
, Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, Charleston (South Carolina), Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...
, Hudson (Massachusetts), Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
, Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Perth (Australia), Sydney (Australia), Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...
, Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, Bangkok (Thailand) and Zhuhai
Zhuhai (, ; Yale: ''Jyūhói''), also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, on the southeastern edge of Pearl ...
Recalls, engine failures, faults and problems
Fire issues
In September 2008, approximately fifteen engine fires in a period of three months forced a partial recall of the TX4. A limited number of vehicles were affected and the Public Carriage Office
Taxicabs are regulated throughout the United Kingdom, but the regulation of taxicabs in London is especially rigorous with regard to mechanical integrity and driver knowledge. An official report observed that: "Little however is known about ...
—now renamed LTPH (London Taxis and Private Hire)—required all models with a '56' registration plate
A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate ( Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificat ...
to undergo safety checks otherwise drivers would lose their carriage licence.
The news of the fires hit the headlines after Big George
George Webley (29 May 1957 – 7 May 2011), better known by the stage name Big George, was a British musician, composer, bandleader and broadcaster who has been described as one of Britain's most successful theme music writers.
Early life
Webl ...
, a presenter on BBC London 94.9
BBC Radio London is the BBC's local radio station serving Greater London and its surrounding areas. The station broadcasts across the area and beyond, on the 94.9 FM frequency, DAB, Virgin Media channel 937, Sky channel 0152 (in the Lond ...
, received photos of a taxi that burst into flames outside Stringfellows on Upper St. Martin's Lane on 12 September 2008.
Steering boxes
Manganese Bronze, the now troubled maker of London taxis was thrown into further turmoil after it announced plans to recall 400 black cabs and suspend sales, following discovery of a steering fault. Manganese reported the discovery of a defect with new steering boxes in its TX4 models, which had been introduced in February 2012 to vehicles produced at its Coventry factory. It warned that the recall and sales suspension would have a "material and detrimental" impact on its cashflow and said it was looking at options for the firm. The news came as the latest blow to the company, which had been hit by mounting losses and an accounting blunder that left it with a £4 million hole in its accounts. Manganese, which suspended trading of its shares earlier in the day, said it was working with Chinese partner Geely (already a 20% shareholder in the business) to fix the steering fault. But they said: "Until such time that a technical solution is developed to rectify the fault, the financial position of the group remains unclear and trading in the company's shares will remain suspended." The company had not reported any profits since 2008.
Administration and a new owner for the business
On 30 October 2012 Manganese Bronze Holdings
Manganese Bronze Holdings plc (MBH) was the holding company of LTI Limited. The firm's sole business in its final years as a company was London black taxicab manufacturing through the LTI subsidiary.
The Manganese Bronze and Brass Co was foun ...
went into administration, and on 31 October 2012 PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting ...
, the administrators, shed 156 jobs at the Coventry head office and production line, and other jobs at various dealer outlets around the country including London. Production at the Coventry site resumed in September 2013, ownership of the assets formerly owned by Manganese Bronze Holdings having now passed to a new company, The London Taxi Corporation
London EV Company Limited (LEVC, formerly The London Taxi Corporation Limited trading as The London Taxi Company) is a British automotive electric vehicle manufacturer with its headquarters at Ansty near Coventry, England, and a wholly-owne ...
, a subsidiary of Geely
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd (ZGH), commonly known as Geely (吉利 "auspicious"), is a Chinese multinational automotive company headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The company is privately held by Chinese billionaire entrepreneu ...
of China.
Private users
In April 2009, Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
(who habitually drives a black cab) announced that he had acquired a TX4 for personal use.
References
External links
* (Thailand)
{{London Hackney Carriage Taxicabs
TX4
The TX4 is a purpose-built taxicab (hackney carriage) manufactured by The London Taxi Company, a subsidiary of Geely Automobile of China. From 2007 until their liquidation in 2013 it was manufactured by LTI. It is the latest in a long line of p ...
Taxis of the United Kingdom
Taxi vehicles
Retro-style automobiles