Van Hool weighs in
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IN AN ATTEMPT to expand in the UK luxury coach market, the Belgian manufacturer Van Hool has adapted its 300 Line coach to suit British requirements. The new model is to be manufactured by its subsidiary, Van Hool McArdle in Dublin, and will be available on either Bedford or Ford chassis.
Initially, production will be limited to four a week, but this is expected to rise to 20 per week when a new factory is built. Don Everall PSV Sales of Birmingham and Arlingtons of Potters Bar are between them taking all the present factory's output for the 1976 touring season and they are marketing the coaches in Britain, at a basic price of £12,530.
The maker places great emphasis on the vehicle's construction, which it says affords greater resistance to deformation in an accident, particularly of the roll-over type. The underframing is made of tubular welded steel sections while the roof is of sheet steel spot welded to the roof frame.
One of the penalties of this type of construction is that the coaches weigh some half tonne (I ton) more than comparable rivals. Fifty-three seats are fitted as standard, but 49 reclining seats may be specified at extra cost. It is expected that the new coaches will be the first of a "family " of new psv from the Dublin maker.