Dennis Dorchester

The name Dennis Dorchester called a chassis for serious coaches, which was produced by British manufacturers Dennis Brothers 1983-1988 in small numbers. Designed the chassis was a priority for the development of fast coaches, which should be used on motorways.

In 1979 Leyland Motors had brought the tiger on the market. However, the successful design in itself was only available with the TL11 engine of Leyland. Many, especially Scottish operator, but demanded the equipment with an engine of Gardner. However, Leyland refused at first to offer this engine as an option. Dennis recognized the gap in the market and developed the Dorchester. However Significant orders were only of the Scottish Bus Group ( SBG), especially Leyland offered the Tigers from 1984 also with the 6HLX of Gardner.

The Dorchester was a bus with underfloor mounted engine. The motor sitting in the middle between the axles. The chassis of the 6HLXCT was produced in lying ( horizontal ) is used.

Overall, only 67 buses were purchased. Approximately two thirds of production, 44 buses, found their customers in subsidiaries of the Scottish Bus Group. Almost all were karosseriert as coaches. Twenty-three vehicles received a Paramount building Plaxton with 55 seats, twenty- one construction of Walter Alexander Coachbuilders, there were 11 buses the TC structure as coaches with 47 seats, five a TE structure as express bus with 49 seats. Five buses were awarded the TS structure of Alexander and were buses with 53 seats.

Leicester City Transport procured three Dorchester with the Paramount building and 49 seats, the buses but sold quickly at Kingston -upon -Hull City Transport on, which supplemented its fleet with a new copy. South Yorkshire procured three buses with Plaxton bodies and 44 seats.

Three buses with 71 seats were procured by Geoff Amos in Northamptonshire and supplemented by two coaches with 53 seats. The structures for the coaches came by Caetano in Portugal,. For buses from Wadham Stringer and Reeve Burgess Tillingbourne also provided two buses with bodies of Wadham Stringer, however, with 61 seats in service.

Five more bodies came from Duple Coachbuilders, a bus karosserierte Berkhof. A bus with Duple - structure could be exported to South Africa.

Was replaced by the Dorchester slightly lighter Dennis Javelin, which went into production in 1986.