Scania direct UK sales
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SWEDISH bus manufacturer Scania Bussar still intends to keep the section of the British bus market won by the Metropolitan and Metro-Scania now its exclusive marketing agreement with Metro-Cammell Weymann is over.
Scania Bussar is to take over direct marketing responsibility for buses in the UK and is soon to appoint a UK bus sales manager. Scania (Great Britain) Limited is to take over after-sales service and parts operations and will soon appoint a field service engineer with specific responsibility for buses.
Spare parts will be stocked at all Scania (GB) distributors and service outlets.
The Scania BR111 chassis which forms the basis of the Metropolitan double-decker in the UK is to be replaced eventually by a new double-deck version of the BR112 chassis which itself forms the basis of the CR112 city bus for the Swedish market, as tested by CM (October 20, 1978).
The new chassis, which will be ready for bodying in 1980, will be available with a choice of naturally aspirated or turbo-charged engines. Scania two-stage automatic transmission, as in the Metropolitan, is still expected to be available, although to overcome criticism of high fuel consumption a new Scania four-stage gearbox and the Voith D851 are also to be offered.
Scania Bussar has had discussions with bodybuilders, including Northern Counties and Alexanders, about building double-deck bodywork. There is no reason why the Scania with MCW bodywork will not still be available, says Scania. The chassis price for the BR112 is likely to be competitive with comparable UK bus chassis. Scania also hopes eventually to market its BR116 coach chassis in the UK, but this will depend on interest shown by coach operators. The rearengined BR116 (CM, October 20, 1978) is now available throughout Europe.
Scania's new bus marketing and service set-up will take effect on April 1 and will further increase competition for British double-deck bus orders. Already Leyland, Metro-Cammell, Weymann Ailsa, Hestair-Dennis and Foden — Northern Counties are competing.