| Leyland Swift | |
|---|---|
Tantivy Blue Coach Tours Wadham Stringer bodied Swift on Jersey in September 2008 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Leyland |
| Production | 1987-1990 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 door |
| Floor type | Step entrance |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Cummins B |
| Capacity | 5.9 litres |
| Power output | 86-97 kW |
| Transmission | synchromesh Allison automatic |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Leyland Cub |
| Successor | Volvo B6 |
The Leyland Swift was a midibus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1987 and 1990 as a successor to the Leyland Cub. It shared many components with the Roadrunner light truck but with the engine relocated to behind the front axle which was itself set back to permit a passenger entrance in the front overhang. Mechanically a 6-cylinder Cummins B turbo-diesel powerplant was standard with the choice of synchromesh or Allison automatic gearboxes. It was available in a choice of short wheelbase (3.6 m) or long wheelbase (4.4 m). [1] The first entered service in November 1987. [2]
A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between 8 metres and 11 metres long. While used in many parts of the world, the midibus is perhaps most common in the United Kingdom, where operators have found them more economical, and to have a sufficient number of seats compared to full size single-decker buses.
Leyland Bus was a British bus and train manufacturer. It emerged from the Rover Group as a management buyout of the bus business. It was subsequently acquired by Volvo Buses in 1988 and the Leyland name disappeared in 1993.
The Leyland Cub CU series was a midibus manufactured by Leyland between 1979 and 1987. There was a previous Leyland Cub, the K series built at Leyland's Ham factory between 1931 and 1939.
A number of coachbuilders produced bodies on the Swift with Wadham Stringer enjoying healthy sales with a very tidy adaptation of its Vanguard II body. The Reeve Burgess Harrier was also popular, while Wright of Northern Ireland produced two distinct designs and Elme 2001 of Portugal supplied a number to Orion coach specification and also to Welfare CareCoach specification with a centrally mounted underfloor wheelchair lift. [3] [4] [5]
Reeve Burgess was a bus body manufacturer based in Pilsley, North East Derbyshire in the United Kingdom. It was a subsidiary of Plaxton from 1980 until its closure in 1991.
Wrightbus is a Northern Irish coachbuilder and pioneer of the low-floor bus based in Northern Ireland; it was established in 1946 by Robert Wright and currently run by his son William Wright.
Welfare and Bus versions were also constructed by Potteries Motor Traction to the Knype outline, mainly for their own use, although a demonstrator was built. [6] Several Swifts were built as mobile libraries. Sales declined markedly once production of the lower-floor Dennis Dart was in full swing.
First Potteries is a bus company based in Stoke-on-Trent operating services in North Staffordshire, England. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup.
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined single-decker midibus chassis that was introduced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles of Guildford, England in 1989, replacing the Dennis Domino. Initially built as a high-floor design, In 1996 the low-floor second generation Dennis Dart SLF was launched. In 2001, production of the Dart SLF passed to TransBus International, during which time it was sold as the TransBus Dart SLF; Alexander Dennis took over production in 2004, renaming the product as the Alexander Dennis Dart SLF.
The Elme Orion and Vanguard II proved particularly popular with operators on the Channel Island of Jersey and Elme on Guernsey owing to its close fit to the maximum vehicle size regulations, seating up to 43 and allowing the replacement of elderly Bedford SB coaches. Otherwise, the Swift was only a moderate success in an uncertain UK marketplace and was disadvantaged by the relatively high floor necessary to clear the mid-mounted powertrain. [7]
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is a Crown dependency located near the coast of Normandy, France. It is the second closest of the Channel Islands to France, after Alderney.
Guernsey is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. It lies roughly north of Saint-Malo and to the west of Jersey and the Cotentin Peninsula. With several smaller nearby islands, it forms a jurisdiction within the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. The jurisdiction is made up of ten parishes on the island of Guernsey, three other inhabited islands, and many small islets and rocks.
The Bedford SB was a front-engined bus chassis manufactured by Bedford in England. It was launched at the 1950 Commercial Motor Show as the replacement for the Bedford OB.
After Leyland Bus was purchased by Volvo, the Swift was phased out and in some respects replaced by the rear-engined Volvo B6.
Volvo Buses is a subsidiary and a business area of the Swedish vehicle maker Volvo, which became an independent division in 1968. It is based in Gothenburg.
In automobile design, a rear-engine design layout places the engine at the rear of the vehicle. The center of gravity of the engine itself is behind the rear axle. This is not to be confused with the center of gravity of the whole vehicle, as an imbalance of such proportions would make it impossible to keep the front wheels on the ground.
The Volvo B6 was a 5.5-litre engined midibus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1991 and 1999. It was also available as the low-entry Volvo B6LE.
