Swedes stay put
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SCANIA-Bussar AB, the bus manufacturing company within the Swedish SaabScania group, intends to keep its share of the UK bus market won by Metro-Cammell Weymann with the Metropolitan double decker and the MetroScania single decker.
Scania-Bussar AB marketing director Gunnar Edwall said at a presentation at Saltsjabaden in Sweden to launch Scania's new bus range that Scania "has enjoyed close cooperation for several years with Metro-Cammell Weymann in supplying city buses for the British market. Today there are over 800 Scania buses in operation in Britain. However, the fluctuations in the exchange rate for the pound have had an adverse effect on Scania's competitive position, which resulted in both companies seeking alternative solutions."
MCW has an exclusive contract for Scania bus chassis in the UK which has about a year to run. Scania has a service responsibility for the buses already on the roads in Britain and therefore needs to continue operating here. It will be making approaches to doubledeck bodybuilders in addition to MCW in the future and considers there is no valid reason why it should not be able to achieve about a 10 per cent share of the British market. is to replace the BR111 on which the Metropolitan is based. I had the opportunity to take the CR112, a new complete city bus based on the BR112 chassis and available only in Scandinavia, for a short test drive. I found the bus particularly quiet and easy to drive. I was impressed particularly by the good acceleration and performance of the bus.
The BR112 chassis is avail able with a choice of two engine options and three transmission options. The engines available are the Scania D11, which develops 151kW (205bhp) and the DS11 developing 191kW (260bhp). Transmissions available are all fully automatic and include the two-speed Scania transmission, the popular Voith D851 three-speed transmission with the retarder and a new four-speed Scania transmis sion, with "retardation pi gramme" which gives an E gine braking effect.
The BR112 is equipped wi constant-height full air st. pension. Encapsulation of t engine compartment h reduced the ambient noi level to a very creditat 77dBA. The BR112 is suitat for integral bodywork.
Scania-Bussar has also i troduced a new luxury coa, chassis for integral body-wo to complement its BR 1, chassis. The chassis, d signated BR116, may be usi for bodies with any Si: wheelbase between 4.9 and 1 metres.
It is available with the san engine options as the BR1 bus chassis in uprated forrr the Dll with natural aspirated or the D1 1 wii turbo-charged engin mounted at the rear. Standal equipment includes a clos range five-speed manu transmission with automat transmission as an option. TI coach is available wit constant-height air suspei sion or leaf spring suspensio Among the optional extra with air suspension is a devic which allows ground clew ance to be increased by 7cr (3in) when driving over roug ground or on to ferries.
On a trip of over 100 km i an Ikarus-bodied 12-metr example, showed its smoot and quiet handling charactei istics and was able to crtriE comfortably at 110 km/ (70mph). GREENSLADES coach tours from eight towns in the Plymouth and Torbay areas were taken over last weekend by NBC bus operator Devon General.
Devon General has altered booking arrangements for the tours, but intends that the takeover should be effected in a smooth and efficient manner.
Greenslades, a unit of National Travel (SW), continues to trade in the Exeter and Exmouth areas.