The MCW Metrocab was a British taxicab introduced by Metro Cammell Weymann in 1987. Unlike most of the company’s output it was a car rather than a bus, and it stayed in production through four different owners until April 2006, long after MCW itself had closed.
MCW Metrocab at a glance
| Brand | Metrocab |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1987, by Metro Cammell Weymann |
| First generation | 1987–2006 |
| Engine | direct-injection diesel from the Ford Transit |
| Later engine | Toyota turbodiesel, in the Metrocab TTT from 2000 |
| Owners | MCW, Reliant, Hooper, Kamkorp |
| Reliant years | 1989–1991, production at Tamworth |
| Hooper years | 1991–2000 |
| Kamkorp years | 2001–2006 |
| Production end | April 2006 |
| Second generation | 2014, petrol-electric range extender |
| Electric version | first authorised electric London black cab |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Metrocab. The article covers the brand, so this page concentrates on the first-generation MCW car.
History of the MCW Metrocab
The MCW years
Metrocab was a British brand of taxicabs started by Metro Cammell Weymann in 1987. The first-generation MCW Metrocab existed in two main variants: the original with a direct-injection diesel engine from the Ford Transit, and, from 2000, the Metrocab TTT powered by a Toyota turbodiesel. The vehicle was a deliberate move by a bus and coach maker into the London taxi market, where the black cab had long been dominated by a single model.
Four owners, one shape
The design changed hands repeatedly. In 1989 MCW’s owner, Laird plc, divested itself of the Metrocab; the rights passed to Reliant and production moved to Tamworth. When Reliant collapsed in 1991 the receiver sold the rights to Hooper, which kept the vehicle in production until December 2000, when Hooper itself suspended trading. The current owner, Kamkorp, bought the rights from Hooper’s administrator Leonard Curtis in June 2001 and restarted production under a new holding company, Metrocab (UK). The vehicle remained in production until April 2006, apart from a 14-month suspension that ended in April 2005.
A second, electric generation
In 2014 a completely new Metrocab was presented to the press, electrically powered with a 1.0-litre range-extender petrol engine. It was the first authorised electric-powered London black cab, a hybrid petrol-electric vehicle capable of zero-emission operation and designed to comply with London Taxi Private Hire regulations. That version did not save the company: Ecotive Ltd filed for voluntary liquidation on 29 November 2021.
Design and features
- Ford Transit diesel: a proven direct-injection engine in the original Metrocab.
- Toyota power later: the Metrocab TTT of 2000 used a Toyota turbodiesel.
- Built by four firms: MCW, Reliant, Hooper and Kamkorp each assembled the same basic vehicle.
- Long production run: nearly two decades, from 1987 to 2006.
- Electric successor: the 2014 range-extender Metrocab was the first authorised electric London black cab.
MCW Metrocab versions
- MCW Metrocab (1987–1989): the original, with the Ford Transit diesel.
- Reliant and Hooper cars (1989–2000): the same design built at Tamworth and then by Hooper.
- Metrocab TTT (2000–2006): Toyota turbodiesel, built under Kamkorp ownership.
- Ecotive Metrocab (2014): petrol-electric range extender, a completely new vehicle.
The Metrocab was the only car from Metro Cammell Weymann, whose main products were the Metrobus double-decker, the Metroliner coach and the Metrorider midibus. More vehicles are in the MCW collection.
Sources
- Metrocab, English Wikipedia: history, owners, engines, second generation
