Healthy orders for bodybuilders
Page 34
Page 35
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Noel Millier reviews e bodies available from the British industry and concludes theyfe in good shape
THE STANDARD of most British-built bodywork leaves Little to be desired, despite occasional quibbles from operators concerning minor faults and late deliveries.
The two largest coach body producers, Duple and Plaxtons, retain the lion's share of their market, despite fairly frequent attempts from foreign bodybuilders to capture some of the private sector business. They both have good-looking ranges of metal-framed luxury coaches evolved to meet the needs of the home operator.
The successful Dominant range from Duple and the latest Supreme Mark IVs from Plaxtons both now offer operators a modern image and feature clean attractive styling, and compete within the requirements of British regulations and operating practices with the best in Europe.
In addition to Duple and Plaxtons, Alexanders of Falkirk is producing its Y and .T-type coach and dual-purpose bus bodies and Willowbrook of Loughborough offers its full range of coach bodies.
Despite a revolution forecast some years ago that bus production would transfer to completely manufactured integraltype buses, British independent bodybuilders still have healthy order books and all of the new generation of double-deck buses are being offered in under-frame form for independent bodybuilding.
It is yet to be seen whether the German MAN company's announced intention to make its SR range of coaches available as complete bodied vehicles will have any more long-term effect on the British market and on British bodybuilders.
The successful entry of foreign chassis to the British psv market has to date been governed by the willingness of British bodybuilders to body foreign contenders, with British coach dealers eager to take all available body space.
The bus side of the industry, in contrast to the coach side, has been more influenced by the move to completely manufactured buses. Leyland's National has gained wide acceptance from operators although its appeal has been slightly damaged by an early switch of demand back to the doubledecker.
The threat to independent bodybuilders presented by the introduction of the integral Leyland Titan and later the MCW Metrobus has now been effectively removed, as both their
buses are now available in versions for operators to specify independently built bodies. In .addition, the Dennis Dominator and Ailsa Mark 2 are available only for bodying by independent bodybuilders.
East Lancashire Coachbuilders, Marshalls of Cambridge, Northern Counties Motor and Engineering Co Ltd, Walter Alexander and Co (Coachbuilders) and Willowbrook are continuing to supply both double and single-deck bus bodies to the requirements of both British and overseas operators.
Within the Leyland group, Park Royal in London is still a specialised double-deck bus bodybuilder, although the majority of production is concentrated on complete Leyland Titan double-deckers.
Charles Roe in Leeds and Eastern Coach Works at Lowestoft continue to concentrate on bodying conventionally chassis buses within the Leyland group. In addition, the Leyland National plant at Workington produces complete bodied singledeck buses.
Metro-Cammell Weymann in Birmingham is now providing serious competition to the Leyland group market share with its "completely" built Metrobus double-decker, which may well soon be available in single-deck form as well. MCW can also body conventionally chassised traditional double-deckers.
British bus body exports are common, particularly in complete knock-down kit form. Alexanders of Falkirk and Metal Sections Ltd are able to supply bus bodies in ckd form to overseas markets. Metal Sections Ltd (trade mark 1VIetsec) is the engineering division of the Tube Investments Group.
Other British companies specialise in basic single-deck bus bodies for a variety of applications, particularly for export, welfare and school bus markets. Lex Tillotson, Wadharr Stringer and Dormobile offe wide ranges of buses, usuall) based on small lighter-weigh chassis which are less special ised than heavier city bus de Signs.
Lei Tillotson of Totton Southampton,offers a full rangE of buses in its Maxeta range. Ar example based on the Bedforc VAS chassis was shown at thE recent NEC Motor Show Maxeta buses are available fol various chassis and seatinc. arrangements with up to 52. seats.
Midicoaches and buses an available from several British coachbuilders. Reeves Burges: of Chesterfield, Harwin Coach builders of Formby, William Motor Company of Manchester Moseley of Loughborough McLays of Kirkintilloch, Roote of Maidstone, Tricentrol PSN Sales of Markyate, S-N o Glasgow, Devon Conversions o Sidmouth, Dormobile of Folk stone and Plaxtons service de partment are offering a varlet, of smaller mini and midibuse vehicles either using origina bodywork converted for psv usi or/and purpose-built smal coach bodies.
The British bus bodybuiiclinc industry offers all type of bodi& for almost every conceivablr worldwide use of buses. In ad dition to the bodybuilders men tioned above, many smal bodybuilders listed in our direc tory are able to build buses fo particular purposes: military municipal, luxury and publii transport applications varyinc from the vehicle providing bask transportation for Third Work countries to the most sophisti cated bus for use in a Europear capital are all available.
The only body not readil available in Britain is that suit able for articulated buses although it is likely that a Britisl artic bus body will appea during this year, too.