Portuguese coaches on show in England
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by DEREK MOSES
• An exhibition of Moseley Continental coachwork built by Salvador Caetano of Portugal is being held by Alf Moseley and Sons Ltd. at their new Shepshed, Leics., showrooms and will remain open until 5 p.m. on Sunday. the company, as announced in CM September 13, has been appointed sole UK concessionnaires for Salvador Caetano coachwork.
Three coaches are on show, including the 51-seat example on a Leyland Leopard chassis described in CM September 20, when on demonstration at Earls Court. the two new coaches are mounted on Bedford chassis and comprise a 52-seat model on a VAL and a 45-seater on a VAM chassis.
All-welded stress steel construction, treated with anti-corrosion liquid and undersealed, is employed for all three bodies. This construction gives a very clean and smooth finish to the exterior of the bodywork. A high standard of interior finish is reached and such features as individual passenger ventilation and reading lights are included in the standard price.
The models shown are all equipped with power-operated doors, glove nets, and head rest covers, which will be optional extras on future bodies. These features add about £185 to the price of the Bedford VAM and £250 on the VAL, making the total prices of the coaches £6,805 and £7,556 respectively. A similarly-equipped British body on a VAL chassis would cost about £100 more.
Future Bedford VALS will be about 3711 in length, slightly longer than the prototype shown and will seat 53 passengers. This body is called the Estoril and will also be available on Ford R226 chassis, while the shorter body for the VAM and R192 chassis is known as the Cascais.
The company reports that firm orders for 25 Caetano bodies have already been received and operators have shown considerable interest in these new models.