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This Show's a inns for PSV visitors
Page 74
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Page 76
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But NEC should give them separate section, says Noel Miflier
DOUBLE-DECKERS, coaches and articulated buses are all represented at the first NEC Commercial Motor Show, but perhaps not in the numbers many bus pundits may expect.
For coach operators two new body styles from Europe are bing introduced and Plaxton's Supreme range has received a face-lift to give it a more European appearance.
Van Hool has its new Aragon coach body, which promises to give operators a great deal for their money in the way of standard equipment, as does a new Portuguese-built body line.
Plaxton has fitted a new grill surround, interior layout, and side mouldings for its already revealed 1979 Supreme range.
Duple, however, remains content to sit this show out although a Dominant 11 body will be shown mounted on a Volvo B 58 chassis on the Volvo stand.
Both Ford and Bedford will have only one psv exhibit on their stands although the Bedford exhibit, the JJL, is sure to be a second time show-stopper.
The Bedford JJL midi-bus was first seen in the 1976 Lendon Commercial Motor Show as an early "mock-up" vehicle based on an original rearengined concept developed by MarshaIls of Cambridge. The JJL was then taken up by Vauxhall's design and engineering department. Now planned for production in early 1979, the bus has Bedford 330 engine transversely mounted at the rear coupled to a fully automatic four-speed Allison transmission.
The 7.5-metre (25ft) leaf sprung bus will be available in 24 seats with a luggage pen or a 27 seats without the luggage pen, and standing room for 10 passengers.
The JJL is the first ever bus with Vauxhall Motors-built body and will be sold in complete form.
Leyland predictably will have the largest display of passenger vehicles at the NEC although by combining the stands of Pak Royal, Charles Roe, Bristol Commercial Vehicles and Eastern Coach Works the impact may be greater but the total representation less.
Unveiled on the Leyland stand will be the much hinted at Mark 2 Leyland National fitted with the TL11 690 turbocharged engine. Many of the changes to this vehicle are a move to the simplier specification of the Series-B rural version National.
Both generations of doubledeck buses are to be represented on the stand, which
will contain a Roe-boc AN68, an ECW-bodied VRT two Park Royal-built produc model Leyland Titans.
Hong Kong too represented on the Leyl stand, although more about later.
Coaches will be represei by a single Leopard cha: which it is likely will be fi with a turbocharged versio the Leyland 680 engine.
Finally, the only articul; bus exhibit in the show will Leyland DAB chassis in ri hand-drive form.
Could this mean a Brit bodied artic bus is on the m Exhibiting for the first tim a complete vehicle manu turer is Metro-Cammell VI man, which will be exhibi two complete Metro-buses a Metro-bus chassis. The IV stand will also contain a suni new model from Birmingham-based compan' Hestair Dennis is exhibl at the NEC as a British maker with two example double-deck Dennis Dom
a Dennis Dominator ;is and a Dennis Jubilant js. One of the stars of the is stand that will be making Jblic debut will undoubtoe the new Marshall Cam) single-decker Dominator.
d bus for Darlington Jgh Transport.
ing Kong is very much the of the British double-deck )attle with only the Foden ut of the new generation represented or to be sented there. At the show be a Jumbo-size 11 m )-bus, a Jumbo-size East s-bodied Dennis Domina
and a Jumbo-size ander-bodied Ailsa Mark for the China Motor Bus )any on Hong Kong Island.
e Hong Kong mainland be represented by an nder-bodied front-engined nd Victory double-decker ie Dennis Jubilant chassis, or the Kowloon Motor Bus iany.
aiceable by its absence the show will be the Foden 'though Norhtern Counare exhibiting three le-deck bodies on old ration Fleetline and tean chassis. One of these, ottingham Transport, will :ted with a -helpfront
bumper and electric destination blindgear with a liquid crystal route indicator display. This will be based on the Leyland AN68 Atlantean chassis.
No complete articulated buses will find their way on to the stands at the NEC although both the right-hand-drive MAN "bendibus" and a Van Hoolbodied Stockholm Transport Volvo B 58 will not be far away.
The MAN will provide car park to NEC feeder services for National Travel (West) and the Volvo is expected to be engaged in a programme of demonstration runs to the NEC from various points in the country.
Minibus and midibus operators will find examples of Devon Van Conversions, Dormobile and Asco bodies at the show
although the "shortieversions of the Ford R-Series and the Bedford YLQ will not be exhibited, tricentrol PSV will, however, have their Ford 1152 Duple Dominant 11 demonstrator and a Norfolk Motor Services Plaxton Supreme midicoach at Birmingham.
Volvo will have two B 58s, one Duple and one Plaxton Viewmaster at the Show in the livery of two well known North Western coach operators.
In addition, two Volvo B 58s will be on the Moseley Continental stand helping to display the latest Portuguese bodies.
DAF too will have a coach displayed although this will be on the Van Hool stand. The coach will be fitted with the new Aragon body and will be shown alongside other examples on Leyland, Bedford and Ford chassis.
A visit to the Show is, therefore, a must for psv people, with new products for both the luxuary coach and stage carriage bus industries. It is sad, however, that the passenger industry does not at least warrant a separate area for its products at the NEC. Many of the passenger exhibits are scattered amongst other types of commercial vehicles.
It is sad also that some of Britain's leading independent coach and bus builders are not exhibiting this year. Duple, Wilowbrook, Marshall, East Lancs and Reeve Burgess are all missing and ECW, Charles Roe, and Park Royal vehicles together with Bristol Commercial Vehicles are all represented on the Leyland stand only.