$10,000,000 Order for Leylands
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A RECORD order for 620 underIA floor oil-engined buses with special Saunders bodies has been secured be Leyland Motors, Ltd. With spares, this represents about 10,000,000 dollars, equivalent to some .£3.250,000. After months of negotiation, the contract was signed on June 21 at the Savoy, London. by Mr. Henry Spurrier, Leyland's managing director, and Mr. William D. Pawky, president and general manager of the Havana Company, a deposit for 903.506 dollars being handed to the former.
The vehicles are the Leyland Royal Tiger model single-decker, with Aphonic fuel injectors, and an engine which can be completely exchanged in under 50 minutes.
,The ali-metal bodies are of the Rivaloy .type, built by Saunders Engineering and Shipyard, :Ltd.. Beaumaris, Anglesey.
,The Leyland concern has won this contract mainly on the quality, of the combined product and its remarkable economy of fuel. As Mr. Pawley pointed out, similar buses Of American make operated by various companies of which he is president and owner. achieve only 51 m.p.g. There is little difference in price, and American concerns Could have supplied standard chassis some four months earlier, but he preferred the specialized Leyland model. • The vehicles will be shipped 40-60 at atime, and delivery is to be completed in 15 months. Each bus will seat 40, and there will be ample room for standees. The air-operated entrance door will be just forward of the rear wheels, and the exit at the front.
When it was learnt, six months ago. that Havana's transport was to be reorganized, Leyland's sales manager, Mr. D. G. Stokes, cut short a business trip to the Middle East and established contact with Mr. Pawley, who had been approached by the President of Cuba to undertake the task. Mr. Pawley flew to England with two of his senior exe.cufives and returned to Cuba accompanied by Mr. A. Binns, of the Leyland export staff, whilst Mr. G. L. Giles remained in England to settle technical details.
According to the present arrangements, 400 of the bodies will be assembled on chassis in Britain, and the remaining 220 will-be shipped partially knocked down.