Amsterdam's first Autobus Show
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The Leyland Bus Tiger 260 shone brightly among Continental exhibits. Noel Millier finds interesting variations on existing themes
VARIATIONS on existing themes provided the major interest at the first Autobus RAI exhibition which closed last week in Amsterdam.
British manufacturing industry was represented by Leyland Bus with its tight new Tiger 260 making its debut together with the first Jonckheere P90 Jubilee semi double-deck Tiger and a high-floor Berkhof Everestbodied Green Line coach, which was the 2000th Tiger to be built.
The impressive Leyland display was completed with a luxurious example of the Leyland Royal Tiger integral coach in the all-over brown livery of Two's Company.
Despite industrial problems back home, Plaxtons exhibited its Paramount 4000 doubledeck coach together with a Volvo B1OM fitted with its highfloor Paramount 3500. Plaxtons hopes that reaction to its exhibits will help a re-entry into the European market.
Dutch bodybuilder Berkhof used its home show to exhibit coaches destined for British operators, including the Green Line Tiger on the Leyland stand and a very pretty 29-seater on the new Iveco 315 turbo chassis. This vehicle, the Ensign Elk, will be a demonstrator for Ensign Bus, the Purfleet-based Berkhof agent.
The star of the Berkhof stand was the new 63-seat semi double-deck Emperor 3 based on the three-axle Volvo BlOMT chassis. This imposing vehicle will join the King's Ferry fleet in Medway Towns.
The first Berkhof-bodied Scania K112 destined for a British operator appeared in the colours of The Londoners and outside in the demonstration park a second Green Line Tiger and the London Regional Tranport Daf M200 DKVL completed with line-up of British-specification Berkhof coaches.
Other right-hand-drive exhibits included an all-black Bova Future FHD in the livery of motor racing sponsors JPS. This particular example was fully air-conditioned.
Bova used the show to launch a more powerful 330bhp-engined high-floor Futura together with a Daimler-Benz 0M422 engine option. Disc brakes on the front will be Bova optional equipment next year.
Van Roojen exhibited its Odysee body on Daf SB 2300 chassis for Star Cruiser Coaches of London. This particular vehicle was fitted with a fully automatic transmission and its lavish interior specification included a full recording studio.
Van Hool and Jonckheere both introduced new variations on existing body ranges including the high-deck integral Van Hool Altano and both semi and fully double-deck variations on the Jonckheere Jubilee theme on Daf, Volvo and Scania chassis.
Daf Bus launched a number of new products including its highspecification, rear-engined SB3000 chassis. The modular construction chassis is to be launched in the UK at the Birmingham Motor Show. The SB3000 features ABS anti-lock braking, optional disc brakes and encapsulated engine compartment. It will complement the existing SB2300 range.
The mid-engined MB200 range successor, the MB230, was also unveiled together with a prototype low-floor-bus chassis.
The MB230 range features full air suspension on front and rear axles. It will eventually replace the MB200 although the latter will stay in production for British operators for at least the next year.
Scania and Volvo were both represented on both their own and a selection of bodybuilders' stands. The integral Volvo C1OM predictably made its show debut as did the threeaxle version of the Scania K112. German coach manufacturers represented included Kassbohrer, Neoplan and Mercedes-Benz. LAG and Van Hool came from Belgium and lveco from Italy.
The show also included a selection of city-bus models from Dutch bodybuilders and a wide variety of component exhibits.