Talbot succeeds with six
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• Little more than six months after Peugeot Talbot revealed its prototype tri-axle Express minibus at the 1986 Motor Show, the unusual six-wheeler PSV has gone into full production, with British operators having already ordered more than 50 vehicles, worth around £1.1 million.
Among the PSV operators who have ordered the frontwheel drive Express bus — which is available as either a 20-seater Pullman model or the Freeway Welfare version with seating for 12 and space for three wheel chairs — are United Transport Bus which has bought 10 for its Preston minibus service, and Tarneside in Greater Manchester.
A tri-axle Express is also going to London Buses on evaluation, and Peugeot Talbot says it has been asked by various large bus companies to submit tenders for a further 450 vehicles, to be supplied during 1987/88.
The initial 50 tri-axle vehicles will be built between now and August, according to PT's light commercial vehicle sales and marketing manager Peter Snelling, who expects a further 150 to be built by the end of the year.
PT assembles the sixwheeler bus, which is based on a Talbot Express chassis cowl with an extended wheel base, tandem rear bogie conversion carried out by AL-KO, at its Stoke plant in Coventry. More than £1 million has been invested in the plant to handle the Tri-arde Express.
The 6.75m-long minibus is powered by the same 2.5 litre indirect-injection 59kW diesel engine currently fitted in the Talbot Express van, coupled to a five-speed gearbox.
The use of the rubber torsion bar-suspended tandem rear axles with the frontwheel-drive Express chassis cowl provides a low 508mm floor height, while the first step height is only 254mm.
In the Freeway welfare model the low floor height means that wheelchairs can be loaded via a single rear door, using a power-operated wheelchair lift, without having to open both rear doors.
The all-steel box-shaped body frame is clad with easilyreplaced metal and glassreinforced plastic body panels. Both versions have an overall internal volume of 16.5m3.
Like the latest Talbot Express 12-and 15-seat Sportsman minibuses (CM 23 May) the tri-axle Pullman and Welfare Express buses comply with the revised C&U regulations, due to come into effect next April, as well as proposed roll-over legislation.
PT is offering a wide range of seating and interior trim options in the six-wheeler, including a full coach-style interior on the top-of-the-range Express Pullman. Prices for the standard vehicles start from £22,000 to £24,000.