Page 16 - Commercial Vehicle Engineer - December 2019

FLEET NEWS
FIRST UK MERCEDES-BENZ ACTROS EDITION 1 DELIVERED
F amily-owned haulier Arthur Spriggs & Sons has taken delivery of the rst of just
35 Mercedes-Benz Actros Edition 1 tractor units to be delivered to a
UK customer.
The Edition 1 is a showcase for the fth
generation Actros range, and production has been restricted to just 400 examples worldwide. Arthur Spriggs’ truck wears a special livery that highlights the Tewkesbury-based operator’s recent 100th anniversary.
Supplied by Marshall Truck & Van, the Actros Edition 1 has joined an all- Mercedes-Benz and FUSO eet of 60 trucks of various sizes, as well as several vans that also wear three-pointed star.
The Actros Edition 1 has the standard range of standard innovations on it – including MirrorCam, Active Brake Assist 5, the Multimedia Cockpit and enhanced Predictive Powertrain Control technology – as well as loads of extra equipment and stylish details geared to the driver.
Powered by a range-topping 15.6-litre straight-six engine which produces a 625hp, the Edition 1 has a GigaSpace cab with
a distinctive gloss black grille, darkened headlamp covers and rims, and an Edition 1-branded sun visor incorporating four extra LED main-beam headlamps.
Arthur Spriggs & Sons’ managing director, Chris Spriggs, said: “I’ve been
in this business for 40 years and there’s not much that gets me excited these days. When I set eyes on this truck for the rst time, though, my reaction was ‘Wow! Now that really is special’.”
The Edition 1’s driver, Andy Quinn – who has been rewarded for his 18 years’ service to the operator with the keys to its new agship – echoed the sentiment. “I’m still pinching myself, what an amazing truck!” he said. “I’ve come out of a 510hp Actros GigaSpace, which was a great drive and never let me down, but the Edition 1 is something else altogether.
“Everything about this truck is state-of- the-art. MirrorCam is a real step forward
in terms of safety, not least because
it eliminates a major ‘blind spot’, while my seat and bunk are unbelievably comfortable. I love the way it looks too. It’s obvious that the driver was the number one priority for Mercedes-Benz when it designed the Edition 1.”
Quinn has a black leather-trimmed
cab interior – including door handles with contrasting topstitching – features
a polished and brushed aluminium dashboard badge that con rms it as ‘One of 400’ Edition 1s. He can choose from eight colours of ambience ceiling lighting, and sleeps on an industry-leading 900 mm wide bed – described by Quinn as
“a bunk-and-a-half ” – and wraparound curtain for privacy.
All new Actros models are offered as standard with a Mercedes-Benz Safety Pack, which includes the latest-generation Active Brake Assist 5 emergency braking system, Proximity Control Assist and a driver’s airbag.
16 DECEMBER 2019 > COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENGINEER