Leyland Leopard

The Leyland Leopard was a bus chassis of the British commercial vehicle manufacturer Leyland Motors. The type was built from 1959 to 1982 and replaced by the Leyland Tiger Leyland Tiger # B43.

The Leyland Leopard had an under-floor mounted mid-engine. Developed on the basis of the successful Leyland Tiger Cub, it was originally intended as its replacement, but for a period of over 10 years, both types were built in parallel. The main difference to the Leyland Tiger Cub was the use of the stronger O.600 diesel engine. Later built Leopard were equipped with the O.680 with 11.1 l displacement. In 1950, the maximum length for buses to around 9.1 m (30 feet) was raised in the UK. The first manufactured versions corresponding to these specifications. Later than the maximum allowed length was increased again, Leyland produced the chassis also in versions with 10 and 11 m length. Together with the Tiger Cub repressed the leopard the Royal Tiger in a short time almost entirely from the British market. With over 1700 buses produced the leopard was one of the most successful of Leyland bus models, but could not build on the sales success of the Tiger Cub. He was replaced by Leyland Tiger from the beginning of the 1980s. Its main competitor in the UK market was the AEC Reliance, although the Associated Equipment Company was also on the Leyland Group. The finished chassis were given in the first term the abbreviation L1 and L2, the abbreviation later PSU3 (11 m length ) or PSU4 (10 m length). The L1 and L2 differed only by the design of the rear frame, while the latter was more suitable for the development of coaches, the former was primarily intended for the construction of Linienbusen.

The serial production began in 1959, after the prototypes were presented at the Scottish Motor Show 1959. Equipped were the buses with the six-cylinder diesel engine of Leyland O.600 9.8 liter displacement and 125 bhp. When pneumatically supported by hand to be shifted four-speed transmission, the third and fourth gears were synchronized. Later the O.680 with 11.1 liters and 180 bhp and semi-automatic transmission was installed. The engine was placed centrally under the floor. An optional rear axle could be ordered with gear and pneumatic brakes on all four wheels. The chassis was air suspension. Until the 1980s it was common chassis and bodies for buses were manufactured by different manufacturers. The chassis manufactured by Leyland were therefore completed by body corporate. Some of the buses was setups of Leyland's subsidiary Charles H. Roe in Leeds, other major manufacturers of bodies were Alexander, Beadle, Burlingham, Crossley, duple, East Lancs, Harrington, Marshall, Metro Cammell, Northern Counties, Nuttall, Park Royal, Plaxton, Strachan, Willowbrook and Weymann. Both coaches and city buses were built.

In England, the subsidiaries of the British Electric Traction ( BET) were major customers of the Leopard. For city buses, and multipurpose vehicles that are both as travel than could be used as a city bus, BET developed a standard design for the superstructure. The structures themselves were based primarily on Marshall and Willowbrook, isolated by Weymann and Metro - Cammell. Another important customer for the Leopard in England Barton Transport of Chilwell near Nottingham. Barton ran a fleet of 200 buses with panoramic Elite and Supreme superstructures of Plaxton. Barton put the buses for all types of passenger transport, so these buses were equipped with a wider, double-leaf door. The body styles themselves were called Express. The British government subsidized at this time the procurement of buses, if they met certain specifications and were used for a prescribed share in intra- regional traffic. On the other operators have also used these grants and procured under this specification produced Leyland Leopard.

In Scotland, many buses of subsidiaries of the Scottish Bus Group were bought and usually with a build up of Alexander (Y type) both travel as well as city bus equipped.

The Irish company Córas Iompair Eireann ( CIE) also bought a large number of buses and provided them usually with a made ​​in our own workshops build.

The Northern Irish counterpart to CIÉ, the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA ) and its successor Ulsterbus, procured the buses with the X - type construction of Alexander. For a period of 40 years, the leopard was a common sight on Northern Ireland's roads. During the troubles in Northern Ireland a total of 228 Leopard were stolen from their accounts and publicly destroyed. From 2006, the leopard, were partly provided by a service life of 28 years, out of service. However Ulsterbus built around some Leopard for use as a tow truck. 2008 Of these, fifteen pieces in use.

The British military also established a number of Leopard. Was exported to the bus to Australia and New Zealand.

Rolling stock

Leyland Leopard with Plaxton Elite Express PSU3 III constituency, Barton Transport, built in 1974, 53 seats

Leyland Leopard Duple PSU3 with building as coach, Alder Valley, built in 1980, 53 seats

Leyland Leopard PSU3 with construction of Wright as city bus, Ulsterbus, built in 1982, 53 seats

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