Response to a unique Luton van range has prompted Britain’s youngest coachbuilder to plan for growth after only six months in business.

A bulging order book means Maxi-Low already needs to expand its workforce by one third to cope with demand for three models that set fresh benchmarks in price and efficiency, it was claimed at the CV Show.

“I thought it would take us around three years to get established in the market, but things already look good for us. We have a long way to go but we’ve made a great start,” said director Andy Williams as the trio of vans went on display.

Based on the 3.5-tonne Vauxhall Movano platform cab, the Maxi-Low vans boast higher load potential, greater capacity and lower rear step height and an innovative walk-through version has been developed for parcel delivery firms.

“”We have landed 450 orders so far and discussions are at an advanced stage with several major operators. We’re also getting interest from a big European parcel carrier,” said Williams.

Use of lightweight materials allows the Leicester manufacturer’s standard Luton to have a 1,520kg payload and an 18.5 cubic metre capacity but capacity jumps to 26 cubic metres in a Jumbo version.

“We’re particularly pleased with this latest development, which is the result of a review of the body structure and how it is mounted. But while the volume is great for making the most of the 3.5 tonne limit, we’ve also changed the shape of the canopy to improve operating efficiency.

“In tests carried out on customer fleets, the better aerodynamics have proved to boost economy of the 2.3-litre motor by 14%. We feel an improvement of that order promises to be a massive benefit to any business, so we’re now looking for more fabricators and extra office staff,” said Williams.

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