ACE launches Cougar
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• Willowbrook Coachbuilders is to supply bodies for the Alternative Chassis Engineering Cougar chassis which was launched last week at Donington's Expo Coach '90.
The Cougar comes in two lengths: the 10.2m Cougar 5 and the 11.8m Cougar 6. Both are powered by six-cylinder Perkins Phaser engines driving through Allison four-speed automatic gearboxes. In the Cougar 5 the Perkins develops 134kW (180hp); the longer Cougar 6 has an uprated 156kW (210hp) version.
ACE has designed the Cougar 5 and 6 to take 41 seats/18 standing and 55 seats/ 20 standing respectively. It plans to build six chassis a month. However, Willowbrook is not the first bodybuilder to cater for the Cougars.
Wadham Stringer has fitted a Cougar 5 with a Portsdown bus body and is about to deliver a 43-seater (with room for 16 standing) to People's Provincial in Hampshire. It has a low (490mm) flat floor.
Wadham Stringer ana Willowbrook both expect to sell complete buses for around £60,000; Wadham Stringer expects to sell up to 30 a year — Willowbrook is hoping for 50. 0 The organisers of the Expo Coach '90 trade show plan to double the size of the event when it is held again in 1992.