Optare aims for 400
Page 20
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• Annual sales of 400 vehicles a year are being predicted by Volkswagen and Optare, the Leeds coachbuilder, for the City Pacer 25 minibus which goes into production this month.
The 25-seat City Pacer, which uses a modified VW LT55 goods vehicle chassis, is being sold direct by Optare and through 10, possibly more, selected MAN-VW dealers in Britain and Northern Ireland.
Already several dealers and operators have placed orders for the bus, which gets its first public airing at this weekend's Blackpool Coach Rally. There are high hopes, too, of export orders being won by VW for left-hand-drive models.
Optare developed the City Pacer (CM, November 30, 1985) as a purpose-built urban minibus, rather than a van conversion, and in conjunction with VW it is offering a
package of finance deals to help operators predict accurately what their costs will be on tendered bus routes.
Leasing deals will be available and contract maintenance, covering replacement of tyres, exhaust systems, brakes and clutches, will be available for 2120 a month up to 48,000km (30,000 mks) over three years. Fiveyear maintenance contracts will also be available.
According to VW's special vehicles project manager, Ken O'Brien: "Our intention is to ensure that Optare receives support to ensure that this is the most successful minibus ever produced."
Four basic City Pacer packages are being offered: a stage bus with standard bus seats; a super stage bus with Optare-designed higher specification seats and such other normal extras as sound systems; a 19-25-seat coach with rear luggage boot; and a welfare bus with a tail-lift.
Ranges of soft trim and laminate materials are offered to customers' specifications.
The basic local bus will retail for about £30,000, the super stage bus at about 21,000 more, the coach for about £33,000 and the welfare bus for about £32,000. All prices are approximate and make no allowance for bulk order discounts.
All glazing is by rubber gasket, for speed of repair, and arrangements are being made to have stocks of replacement glasses in dealers' premises. According to Optare, the deep front windscreens will be comparatively cheap at a price in the low hundreds of pounds.
Basic mechanical specification of the VW LT55 chassis, to which the steelframed Optare body is welded, is a 76kW (102hp) diesel engine producing 195Nm torque at 2,500rpm, a five-speed manual gearbox and 406mm (16in) wheels.
An Allison AT545 automatic gearbox, tailor-made for the City Pacer, is being offered for 23,850 extra, but Optare expects that the VW maintenance contracts will encourage most customers to specify the manual gearbox.
Optare modifies the VW chassis by scrapping the front scuttle and instrument panel, moving the driving position back into a higher position to give the driver eyeball contact with passengers, and by fitting a simplified instrument panel with all body and chassis switches in easy reach of the driver.
VW has no plans to import the LT55 for goods vehicle use in Britain, but is prepari — if persuaded — to sell thf standard chassis/scuttle for use, but with the inferior driving position.
Optare, which selected th VW chassis as an alternativ( to other models (like the Dodge 50-Series) or to fittin running units into an integra design, will build the City Pacer exclusively on VW' chassis.
• A list of the dealers handling City Pacer sales is Operator's Handbook, p23.