Volvo B57

Volvo B57/BB57
DP Owens Alexander Y Type bodied Volvo B57
Overview
Manufacturer	Volvo
Production	1966-1982
Assembly	Sweden
Body and chassis
Class	Bus chassis
Floor type	Step entrance
Powertrain
Engine	6.7-litre front-mounted I-6 Volvo D70, TD70
Chronology
Predecessor	Volvo B715 (B57) Volvo B615 (BB57)
Successor	Volvo B7FA (B57) Volvo B7F (BB57)

A vintage Repstad bodied BB57 from Sørlandsruta, near Molde in May 2008

Volvo B57 was a front-engined single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1966 and 1982. Since 1970 it was also available as the Volvo BB57, with the engine mounted on top of the front axle, giving the buses very little front overhang. The BB57 became a kind of replacement for the smaller B54, but as it was larger, the B54 got its true replacement later. The predecessor to BB57, the B615 had gone out of production in 1965, but apparently the demand for such a model was so high that they had to bring it back almost half a decade later, as the B54 proved to be too small.

Both B57 and BB57 could be built in 3 different wheelbase lengths: 5 metres (B57-50), 5.5 metres (B57-55) and 6 metres (B57-60).

This chassis type was rare in the United Kingdom, but was quite popular in rural parts of the Nordic countries.

Singapore Bus Services introduced a fleet of NZMB (New Zealand Motor Body) bodied B57s in the early 1980s. Upon their retirement, all 300 were bought by Bus Éireann of Ireland between 1994 and 1998 for use on school bus duties in rural areas until their withdrawal in 2004. Some of these have been preserved by various Irish transport enthusiasts.

In Australia, four B57s were purchased by Neville's Bus Service while another was purchased by Cairnstrans.

External links

• Media related to Volvo B57 at Wikimedia Commons
• Media related to Volvo BB57 at Wikimedia Commons