Enter the Charterway Cocker midi-bus
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• A 16-seat coach based on a Mercedes 406D chassis has been launched by a newly registered company as the forerunner of a range of bus and coach body designs to be built in Southport. The company is Charterway Cocker Coachcraft, combining Charterways of Southport, a well-established tour operator with wide Continental experience, and Cockers of Southport, who have been building bodies since 1899.
The first coach built is a demonstrator, and is described as a semi-conversion of the Mercedes 4.6 tons gvw van in that it utilizes parts of the van body in its construction although the work is much more comprehensive than merely inserting windows and seating in the original shell. The body is fully lined and insulated and features a heating and forced air ventilation system by KL Automotive Products Ltd.
A Mercedes 2.2-litre diesel engine powers the chassis, which is fitted with ambulance springs, psv anti-roll bars and oversize tyres. Entry to the bus is by a hinged door at the front, and three steps are provided for ease of access. An emergency door is fitted on the offside immediately behind the driver's door. In the prototype are 16 semi-coach seats, all facing forward with pairs on the nearside and singles on the offside. Heating is provided by a KL385 Mk I underseat heater unit. The ventilation systen is entirely mounted in the roof, with a KL271 blower unit drawing-in air from a backwar■ facing inlet on the roof and feeding it to longi tudinal ducts in the roof above the seats An individual outlet is mounted above eacl seat, which can be adjusted by the passengers.
A Weathershields three-way lifting roo vent is fitted, and saloon lighting is byfluores cent units.
The vehicle will cost about £3400 inclusiv of radio, choice of seats, two-tone paintworl and continental roof marker lights. It is no intended to produce a fully coachbuilt 18-sea coach body without using any of the vai panels. This will be styled in the modern fla roof fashion.