British bravado makes Brighton rock
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Domestic coachbuilding was given a real fillip at the seaside last week, reports Noel Millier. The overall impression is that operators are now spoilt for choice
BRIGHTON'S 29th British coach rally was even more spectacular than last year, with over 80 entrants, and almost as many trade exhibits, filling the entire length of Madeira Drive. The onward march of the integral coach was strongly evident but so was the renaissance of the British coachbuilding industry.
On Saturday, the coaches started on the series of driving tests to find the 1983 Coach Driver of the Year. This was followed by questions on road law and British and Continental driving and more driving tests. The winner was a first-time rally entrant, Colin Ebdon, who handled expertly his family firm's Neoplan Skyliner doubledeck coach.
The award for Premier British Operator of 1983 went to Banstead Coaches of Banstead in Surrey, whose Daf Plaxton earned the highest marks for the road section, driving tests, and concours d'elegance combined.
The Coach of the Year was Kassbohrer's Setra S228DT double-deck coach entered by Ideal Reisen.
This German coach triumphed despite some very convincing opposition from regular rally winner Gilbert Kinch, whose lavish Jonckheere P90 Jubilee seemed almost the ultimate in unashamed luxury.
Kassbohrer's day was further brightened at Brighton by the award of Highest Standard Coach to Wallace Arnold with a Setra S215.
The top Leyland coach was judged to be a Plaxton Paramount 3500-bodied Tiger of Midland Red Express, and the award for best Grand Touring Coach was a similarly-bodied Daf of J. Cooper and Sons of Killamarsh.
Bedford is still awaiting its rally renaissance, for the top Bedford in the event was a 34-year-old Bedford OB, from Mervyns of Dummer.
Two of the debuts at the rally were in the entrants rather than the trade displays. Most surprising was the Ensign Enterprise entered by The Londoners. This vehicle is a luxury coach based on a rebuilt London Transport DMS type Daimler Fleetline double-decker. The alterations make its ancestry hard to discern for it features direct glazing, one-piece sidepanels and a full soft-trimmed interior. Mechanically, it is pure DMS, although every unit has been replaced or reconditioned. The coach has 62 seats and the price of the converted vehicle is around £45,000.
Another debut among the entrants was made by the Neoplan Clubliner. The Clubliner is a 10.7m two-axle version of the Skyliner and is powered by a
rear-mounted 205kW (280hp) Mercedes-Benz V8 engine. The Clubliner is a full and genuine double-decker and was enterec by Trans Continental Motors of Clevedon, Avon. It won the Arlington Motor Company trophy for the best 11rn coach with not less than 44 seats fron. a fleet with less than 50 vehicle
The list of entrants included eight double-deck coaches and 20 fully integral coaches, including for the first time a Bova Futura entered by Autoca Weemaes of Kieldrecht, Belgium.
Significantly, more than half the entrants had Continental coachwork although there wen 27 Plaxton-bodied coaches anc nine Duples entered.
The move away from lightweight coaches was evident, with only four Ford RSeries coaches and nine Beforc entered.
The Continental bodybuilder included Padane, Van Hool, Jonckheere, Berkhof, Unicar well as integral manufacturers Bova, Kassbohrer-Setra and Neoplan. The only all-new British coach making its rally debut was an MCW Metroliner from East Kent.
Among the complete vehicle on show at Brighton for the fir: time was the attractive Bova Calypso. Based on the Duple Caribbean body built on a Boy; underframe, this new model w sold exclusively by Moseley, lich was also exhibiting for the st time a right-hand-drive )va Future as well as the miller Bova 2 Europa.
Double-deck coaches on show lluded a Van Hool Astromega the livery of Southend ansport, a Neoplan Skyliner rnonstrator and the Derek indall three-axle Jonckheere 9 Daf-based double-decker, iich was handed over to its ,erator by Jonckheere agents iesela re Sales.
Leyland Bus displayed am pies of its Tiger chassis :ed with Plaxton and Van Hool ,dywork as well as its Royal ]er Doyen integral
monstrator.
Bedford exhibited examples of YNT fitted with Plaxton ramount 3200, Supreme and right Contour bodywork. Chassis manufacturers Hestair Innis and Ward Motors both owed Plaxton Paramount 00-bodied examples of their ires. The Ward Dalesman has )erkins TV8 640 engine and the ,nnis Dorchester a Gardner LXCT power unit.
auest 80 had bodied am pies of its imaginative new rd-powered chassis. One was fitted with a Reeve Burgess and the other a Loco motors of Andover body.
Other exhibits included: the first British specification Van Rooijen Odyssee coach body fitted to a Volvo B1OM chassis; the first Plaxton Paramount 3500-bodied Scania K112; the first Duple Caribbean integral coach built on a Neoplan underframe; a Dennis Lancet midi fitted with air suspension and Duple Dominant bus body; the Setra Rational 12m coach; and examples of Plaxton Paramount, LAG Galaxy, Berkhof Esprit bodywork on chassis including Volvo BlOM and Daf MB200 DKFL and 2,300 SB.
Wadham-Stringer showed an automatic Ford R1015 fitted with dual-purpose Vanguard bodywork. MAN showed its SR280 Highliner coach. Also present was a Smit-bodied Daf shown by Erringtons of Evington.
The overall impression created by the rally was of operators striving to capitalise on the freedoms offered by the 1980 Transport Act and suppliers hungry to provide superb products to meet every conceivable need. Never before have there been so many models from which to choose, and passengers should soon feel the benefits.