AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

FIRST APPRAISAL

18th January 1986
Page 31
Page 31, 18th January 1986 — FIRST APPRAISAL
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Keywords : Man Se, Berkhof, Chassis, Ac Cars

MAN's British spec 16.280 HOCL coach chassis is powerful and responsive and CM is the first trade journal to appraise it on the road

1 OMMERCIAL MOTOR is the

first trade journal to appraise ../MAN's recently introduced specification right-hand-drive

HOCL coach chassis on the road. .e first one to be imported has hof Esprite coachwork and was nt in Glasgow during the Scottish it. We helped to deliver it front eet and from a driver's point of found that it is directly comparable other high-specification

yweights.

us MAN is powerful and responsive admittedly while unladen, cruised e motorway maximum speed with !Nine turning over at just under )rpm.

id this is the model with which \I has confounded many critics. For )ugh the company was an early tinental manufacturer to attack the sh market with high-spec, rearned coaches, MAN never achieved a ificant market share with its integral .40. There were suggestions that the nan maker would abandon the UK ket when old stocks ran out.

n our appraisal, run mainly on orways, we found the MAN :hoe Esprite combination impressive number of ways and particularly t.

he ride from the air suspension led on a par with that of the old gra! SR280 although the new sised coach does not have !pendent front suspension.

3r Britain MAN fits the new full air

■ ension. There are two air bags on front axle and four mounted within chassis members at the rear axle. .1though the HOCL has the same c engine/gearbox package as the 80, different ratios make it a more nomic motorway cruiser than its gral stablemate. ZF integral powerring makes the steering light, but more feel than is experienced with SR280.

Isewhere there are many differences pecification. The engine, horizontal he SR, is mounted longitudinally and ight in the chassis.

;ear positions are reversed with first I second nearest the driver.

itn MAN spokesperson explained that particular chassis is a prototype for right-hand-drive specification and iduction models may have the gearInge reversed. The only time we experienced any problems was when down changes were necessary after several hours of motorway driving. The natural tendency seemed to be to try to move the lever the wrong way. However, recovery was not a problem.

This Berkhof MAN combination offers the same type of passenger appeal that is provided by die SR280. With 53 Vogel reclining seats and a fully softtrimmed carpeted interior, the coach is nicely fitted for touring.

Our model proved draught and rattle free, although sonic wind noise was noticeable around the driver's window. The Berkhof instrument binnacle has virtually all instruments well placed and within reach.

The MAN 280 HOCL, with its 11.4litre MAN 1)2566 MTH') turbocharged diesel engine, is available from Tony Andrews (PSV) Sales and Beaufort Trucks in Scotland. Tony Andrews quotes a retail price of 189,0(NI for the 3.5-metre high, 12-metre long, 5.09m wheelbase vehicle. Specification includes double glazing, oil-fired heating with a pre-timer, demountable toilet and driver's bunk.

Although the HOCL chassis is supplied to the bodybuilder as a complete chassis, Berkhof has cut out the centre section and incorporated the reminder into what is a semi-integral coach to give around 7.25m3 of luggage space.

A second HOCL chassis is being bodied by Salvador Gaetano in Portugal and will be sold through that company's British subsidiary.

Tags

Organisations: Britain MAN
Locations: Glasgow

comments powered by Disqus