New Vanguard
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• Wadham Stringer Coachbuilders of Waterlooville, Hampshire, has introduced a new single-deck bus and coach body range to complement its proven Vanguard products.
The new body, named Vanguard II, is intended to take Wadham Stringer up market and is designed to appeal to deregulated bus operators.
It offers a local bus which doubles as a private hire coach without loss of attractiveness in either role.
In addition to styling changes, the new model differs from the existing range in having soft corded cloth roof and side linings inside, a new pivoted PLC Peters power door system, an improved rack air ventilation system and an Eberspacher heating system complete with preheater.
The Vanguard II retains rubber gasket glazed side windows but has square cornered gaskets to give a bonded window look. The windscreen is deeper and more shaped.
It will be built on the same production line as the Vanguard One and uses the same anti-corrosion protected multiple steel ring structure which Wadham Stringer says will meet all proposed ECE rollover strength requirements.
The first Vanguard II to be produced is fitted to a Dodge G10 bus chassis fitted with 33 Wadham Stringer high-backed coach seats.
The body range is to be available in 2.3 or 2.5m widths on such chassis types as Bedford SB,VAS and Y-Series, Ford Cargo bus chassis, Dodge Commando G-Series, and Leyland Tiger and Dennis Dorchester.
The prototype is finished to a dual-purpose specification and is priced at 243,233 (228,826 for the body and 214,407 for the chassis). The range price starts at about 235,000 for a 25-seater bus.
Also aimed at deregulated bus operators is the Wadham Stringer Wessex midibus range which is being developed and is expected to be launched in June.
This entirely new product range of coachbuilt 15 to 20-seat bodies will initially be built on Freight Rover Sherpa 350 long-wheelbase chassis and Dodge 50-Series models.