The LTI TX1 is a Hackney carriage, the London black cab, introduced by London Taxis International in 1997 to replace the ageing Austin FX4. It was styled by the British product designer Kenneth Grange and kept the familiar London taxi shape while modernising the chassis and interior underneath.
LTI TX1 at a glance
| Maker | London Taxis International (LTI) |
|---|---|
| Production | 1997–2002 |
| Predecessor | Austin FX4 |
| Designer | Kenneth Grange |
| Engine | Nissan TD27 diesel |
| Body | Hackney carriage (London black cab) |
| Successor | LTI TXII |
| Interior | improved, ready for aftermarket equipment such as Cabvision |
The English Wikipedia article on the TX1 is a short stub and is the only source used; the article is therefore shorter than usual and based on one source.
History of the LTI TX1
Replacing the FX4
The FX4 had been in production since 1958, and by the 1990s London needed a new cab. The TX1 was introduced by London Taxis International in 1997 as the FX4’s replacement, and the design was entrusted to Kenneth Grange, one of Britain’s best-known product designers. Rather than follow the modernistic van-shaped experimental cabs that had been tried, Grange’s bodywork deliberately recalled several distinctive styling cues of the FX4, so that the new cab would still read as a London taxi at a glance.
Approved by the drivers
The design was not simply imposed on the trade. When it was finished, the TX1 was submitted to cab drivers for their approval, and it won their acceptance as sufficiently maintaining the spirit of the London cab. That mattered in a market where drivers buy and run their own vehicles and are notoriously loyal to a shape they know.
Nissan power
Most TX1s were powered by the TD27 diesel engine from Nissan, a relationship that had begun in the late FX4s. The improved interior also allowed certain after-market additions to be made to the vehicles, such as the Cabvision technology fitted to some cabs. In 2002 the TX1 was replaced by the TXII, which switched to the Ford Duratorq engine as used in the Ford Transit, Mondeo and Land Rover Defender.
Design and features
- FX4-inspired styling: the body echoes the cues of the 1958 FX4 instead of adopting the van-like shape of experimental cabs.
- Kenneth Grange design: the TX1 was styled by one of Britain’s leading industrial designers.
- Nissan TD27 diesel: a proven engine already familiar from the last of the FX4s.
- Driver approval: the finished cab was shown to working drivers and accepted by them before it entered service.
- Aftermarket-ready interior: the improved cabin could take equipment such as Cabvision.
LTI TX1 versions
- TX1 (1997–2002): the standard London black cab with the Nissan TD27 diesel.
- Cabvision cars: examples fitted with the after-market Cabvision equipment made possible by the revised interior.
- TXII (from 2002): the successor model, which changed to a Ford Duratorq engine.
The TX1 was replaced by the LTI TXII, which in turn gave way to the LTI TX4. Its predecessor, the LTI Fairway, was the last of the FX4 line. More cars are in the LTI collection.
Sources
- TX1, English Wikipedia: introduction, designer, engine, replacement by the TXII, driver approval
