Leyland's future 'deckers
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by Martin Hayes
• Important pointers to British Leyland's future double-deck bus design policy were revealed this week. The Greater London Council's policy statement, reported elsewhere in this issue, mentioned that London Transport and BLMC engineers were cooperating on a new vehicle. Meanwhile a local press report has disclosed that British Leyland is planning to transfer production of the Daimler Fleetline from Coventry to Leyland.
British Leyland this week denied that the LT-BLMC job was a development of the LT-designed rear-engined Routemaster — dubbed the FRM — which first made its appearance exactly six years ago. This possibility has been widely rumoured among busmen. The BLMC spokesman refused to disclose further details. However, I understand that the vehicle is still only at the "lines on paper" stage and major operators including LT are still being consulted about their requirements. It is only one of several projects in Leyland's forward vehicle programme. The spokesman did point out. "that it would be premature to assume that the bus will be built at Workington". (Workington is where the advanced factory building the integrally constructed Leyland National single-decker is located.) The Leyland spokesman was unable to give a date for the removal of Daimler bus production from the Jaguar factory in Radford. Coventry, to the Leyland plant. He did confirm that this is to happen, in order to give increased production space for Jaguar's much sought-after car engines. In answer to a question about the Fleetline's future, the spokesman told me that it was still a "livewire" model. It would certainly continue in production for the foreseeable future, though for how long was impossible to say.
Operators have reported recently that contracts for Daimler buses have included a clause to the effect that after 1974 BLMC will not guarantee what make of vehicle would be supplied. The spokesman maintained that this was normal policy for vehicles ordered now for delivery in two years' time. "We can guarantee now that our products will meet certain requirements and will be to a certain specification", he said. "but not that they will have one particular badge. We must keep our options open".
Prenez garde au Pixie
• Printed in French, posters and leaflets warning Continental drivers about the problems and hazards they may expect to meet with in narrow West Country lanes are being displayed and issued by the Devon and Cornwall police.