cars and Bedford civilian and military trucks, and buses. Visitors to DVD may spot a veteran Bedford 4 Tonne truck still operating, working as a water sprinkler keeping dust down. In 1988 a new company, Millbrook
Proving Ground Ltd, was formed to trade independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of Group Lotus. Almost like a nationalised industry the staff at Millbrook had enjoyed the security of being a department of a major vehicle manufacturer; now they had to be a customer focused organisation in the tough world of automotive consulting. They joked that Millbrook had been “privatised”. In 1993 Millbrook was separated
from Group Lotus by transferring its shares to GM Holdings UK Ltd. The company continued to flourish as an independently managed business, focusing investment on increasingly high technology areas of vehicle design such as crash mitigation, emissions control and component durability. The core track-based whole vehicle durability business was also supported with new facilities and steady, profitable growth ensued: • Vehicle and system assessment • Powertrain development • Safety testing.
Steep unsurfaced tracks at Millbrook tests traction and road holding, particularly for armoured vehicles that may have a higher centre of gravity. Image © Millbrook Proving Ground
These are staffed by engineering teams who work with manufacturers on their test and development programmes. This work is undertaken in complete confidentiality and the verdict of Millbrook teams is impartial and sometimes brutally honest. Millbrook has a wide range of types of test tracks. The most prominent are the: • Hill Route - divided into three sections or loops which contain progressively steeper gradients and tighter corners. Sometimes seen in motoring television programmes, for example BBC’s Top Gear, particularly the “ski-jump” where it is very easy for vehicles to become airborne. The fast Alpine Route was used for the James Bond film Casino Royale. • Outer and Inner Handling (or City Course) circuits - extremely technical, twisty circuits used for extreme testing of vehicle handling characteristics. • High Speed Bowl - a two mile circular banked circuit used for higher speed testing. The proving ground maintains a high standard of security and secrecy to protect the commercial interests of its customers. Public access is not generally permitted and the facility is hidden from view by belts of trees.
Limited supervised access to the facilities is available through some driver training organisations. This level of security makes Millbrook an ideal testing ground for military vehicles and for the past five years it has worked closely with the MoD in the testing and development of new vehicles. Vehicles can be taken through terrain that resembles desert sand, jungle swamp or rough tracks and this can be repeated consistently. With this close connection with the MoD it is therefore a logical choice that Millbrook has become the home of DVD. The proving ground has a world- wide client base and continues to develop business guided by this vision: ‘To be the centre of excellence in transportation test, development and promotional services at the hub of a world-renowned automotive technology park. We will earn total customer satisfaction by superb services and products developed through continuous improvement, driven by the integrity, teamwork and innovation of Millbrook’s people.’
Will Fowler, Editor, G3 DEFENCE
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G3 DEFENCE
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