Dennis Paxit: 1960s Paxit Major IIIC     Dennis entered the decade of the 1960s with a slight advantage over rival manufacturer Shelvoke & Drewry. The Dennis Paxit III with its dual-blade packing system could pack faster and retain its load better then the SD Pakamatic. The two companies fought it out over the decade, with mostly minor refinements to their respective models. Both companies relied on foreign patent licenses; Dennis was using the Swiss Ochsner systems, while SD was affiliated with SEMAT of France. Both makes, of course, were also producing their own British-built truck chassis and cabs, which set them apart from most other domestic and worldwide refuse body manufacturers. Each had a loyal following, and 'conquest' sales would be hard-fought.    The Paxit III (continuous) and Paxit II (intermittent) bodies were mostly unchanged during the decade. By 1962, an an all-new composite cab with fiberglass shell was introduced. The fall of 1968 saw ejection-unloading debut with the new Paxit 70 Series, and Dennis was one of the first British makes to adopt this feature. Thus, Dennis scored another engineering victory over SD refuse bodies. However, any celebrations would be short-lived. The company was in financial trouble, and shareholders wanted to liquidate Dennis. A takeover by Seddon had almost come to pass in 1969. Furthermore, the competition over in Letchworth had an ace up their sleeve with the soon-to-be-announced SD Revopak, another SEMAT design which would arrive in 1970. This development would catapult SD to market dominance, and spell the end of the 'inverted-drawer' type packer which was the heart of the Dennis refuse collector line. Dennis Paxit Major III C with the new Pax fiberglass cab introduced in 1962 Paxit III for Dennis' hometown Guildford Corporation Paxit III C with crew cab Paxit Major III C with crew cab Palladin-type binlift for the Paxit III C Economy-model Paxit II C with intermittent-type packer Rear view of the Paxit II C while tipping 1968: The Paxit 70 Series combined the III C packer with ejection discharge Ejection discharge made unloading considerably easier and safer REFERENCES: The Commercial Motor, November 15, 1968, page 51: Design Progress at Olympia (Paxit 70 ejector) 9/5/22 © 2022 All Rights Reserved Logos shown are the trademarks of respective manufacturers Photos from factory brochures/trade advertisements except as noted