Ward family lets cats out of the bag
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New AEC range
DETAILS of Britain's newest range of three bus and coach chassis have been released by the Albion Equipment Company of Huddersfield.
The company, which was formed earlier this year by Yorkshire coach operator Stephen Ives of AbbeywaysIvesways, together with Keith and David Ward of the now defunct Ward Motor company, has established production at the Albion Works in Huddersfield from which the company has taken its name.
The first of the three chassis designed by Keith Ward is the AEC Puma, a 4m wheelbase chassis designed for 35-seat coach bodywork.
It offers a low driving position, full air suspension, full air braking, integral power steering and a ZF six-speed all-synchromesh gearbox. This heavyweight chassis is powered by a mid-mounted Perkins T6 354,4 turbocharged engine rated to produce 150bhp at 2,600rpm.
For 12m coachwork, the Cheetah also offers a chassis frame swept down to accommodate a lowered driving position.
It offers a 6.1m wheelbase all-welded chassis with full air suspension. A mid-mounted Perkins turbocharged TV8.640 engine rated to produce 260bhp at 2,400rpm and a ZF six-speed all synchromesh gearbox are standard.
For bus operation, the Albion Equipment Company offers its Cougar all-welded rear-engined chassis which is ramped low to the front to allow it to•be fitted with bodywork offering a low entrance door and a flat floor.
The Cougar is offered with a Gardner 6HLXB horizontal engine rated to produce 180bhp at 1,900rpm through an SCG GB400 five-speed wide-ratio semi-automatic gearbox with integral retarder.
Like the other chassis in the range, the Cougar has full air suspension. It is designed as the basis for 11m urban singledeck buses.
The new AEC range has been developed by Keith Ward from scratch specifically for the new company and is not adapted from the bolted construction Dalesman range .produced by Ward Motors.
However, to maintain the goodwill of previous Dalesman customers, Mr Ward told CM that AEC will honour the warranty outstanding on the Ward chassis in service and continue to provide Ward customers with service and spares backup.
Bodywork by Plaxtons, Wrights and Van Hool is available on the coach chassis. Prices start at £19,950 for the Puma and E29,995 for Cheetah. The price for the Cougar bus chassis, which is expected to be available with Wadham Stringer Vanguard bodywork, is available on request from the Albion Equipment Company, Albion Works, Manchester Road, Milnsbridge, Huddersfield.