Dealer six-wheeler
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'EXCLUSIVE
• Two weeks after Peugeot Talbot revealed its intention to build six-wheel minibuses at its Coventry factory, Londonbased PT dealer Warwick Wright has launched its own welfare vehicle using a Dormobile body, a Talbot Express front end and an AL-KO chassis with tandem trailing rear axles.
The conversion is based on short-wheelbase Express chassis-cab. AL-K0 of Leamington Spa cuts the original chassis off behind the cab, replacing it with its own low-level frame instead. The standard Talbot rear axle and leaf suspension is replaced by twin trailing axles with independent rubber torsion bar suspension. Standard Talbot brakes and road wheels are used.
Dormobile of Folkestone then fits a modified version of its Pacemaker aluminium body to the Express cab. The result is a 6.5m-long welfare vehicle with full 1.9m of headroom in an overall vehicle height of 2.5m. The body has a side passenger door with a step height just 250mrn. Floorto-ground height at the rear doors is around 500mm.
The first vehicle is fitted with a Ratcliff wheelchair lift although a ramp can be specified. The prototype can accommodate 18 passengers on removable seats, or six passengers in their wheelchairs, or any combination of the two.
Warwick Wright is marketing the vehicle to meet various customer demands. The prototype is powered by the 55kW (74hp) Citroen 2.5litre diesel, although petrol powered versions can be supplied. Warwick Wright quotes a basic price of £15,995 for the conversion consisting of a completed vehicle, fully trimmed with cord carpet on the body interior side panels.
The seating arrangement and wheelchair mountings or tracks are extra, as is a wheelchair lift or ramps. The petrol version is £880 less than the diesel. Ei Peugeot Talbot is also developing an Express bus based on the AL-KO chassis which is expected to be built at its Stoke plant in Coventry from the beginning of next year (CM July 5). This vehicle will seat around 20 passengers with allowance for four standing, and will have its main passenger entrance beside the driver to make it more suitable for one-person bus operation.