Coach and Bus News
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Mercs aim at UK
DAIMLER-BENZ has invested over DMBOm (£20m) in a new coach and bus manufacturing plant at its Mannheim works writes NOEL MILLIER.
The new plant is probably the most sophisticated in Europe and is already in use for the final assembly of 0303 coaches and 0305 and 0405 buses, including the first fully built-up integral 0303 coaches destined for the British market.
The plant produces complete vehicles on a fully mechanised advanced production line comprising around 50 assembly stages and including the first dual-level bus and coach assembly lines in Europe.
The dual-level line allows work to be carried out in fitting out vehicle interiors on the upper level while at the same time, on separate assembly stations on the lower level, workers are carrying out tasks on the underside of the vehicle.
The assembly plant includes extra stations to allow special versions of the models produced to be removed from the same line to be fitted with extra equipment without slowing the main production run.
Completion of the new plant consolidates the Daimler-Benz position as the largest manufacturer of buses over eight tonnes in the non-Communist world.
Speaking at a press conference at the new assenbly plant, Daimler-Benz bus division head Horst Zimmer announced that the 0303 coach range, of which more than 20,000 units have been built, is now the most successful coach range to date.
He said that the range will continue to be developed to further increase its attractiveness but that no plans currently exist for its replacement.
Right-hand-drive models are now being built for sale in Great Britain, South Africa and Japan and attempts are being made to open further right-hand-drive markets.
In Britain, Yeates of Loughborough has taken delivery of its first-right-hand drive highfloor Mercedes-Benz 0303 integral demonstrator. The coach is the flagship of the range and together with a mid-height model will now be strongly marketed in Britain. Yeates is considering introducing the normal height 0303 into the market later. In addition to Yeates' own staff, many of whom have already been trained to service Mercedes-Benz coaches, Mercedes-Benz (UK) has appointed 28 strategically placed dealers as service points, already backed by increased parts availability, to meet anticipated increased demand.
The 0303 is already established in Britain with Jonckheere-bodied examples supplied by Roeselare Sales and a few Mercedes-Benz integral examples supplied to West German-owned Wahl Coaches of London. This is despite no series production of right-handdrive models and a low priority given to the British market by the factory.
This is now to change with both chassis and completely built-up integral coaches in series production at Mannheim to be marketed by Britain's largest coach dealership.