Ford R series

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Ford R1115, last version with duplex structure

Ford R1115 , last version with duplex structure

R series
Manufacturer Ford Thames
design type Public bus
Production period 1964-1986
axes 2
engine Ford R 2.8 liter diesel engine
power 128 hp / 140 hp / 150 hp
length 10 or 11 m
Similar models Leyland Panther , Volvo B58 , AEC Swift , AEC Reliance

The Ford R-Series was a bus chassis made by Ford Thames in Dagenham , London, England. The model was produced from 1964 to 1986. A number of components, including the engines, were shared with the Ford D-Series truck . Here, however, the engine was still mounted upright in front of the front axle so that the passenger entry could be arranged directly next to the driver's seat. The vehicles were 10 (model R192 , later R1014 ) or 11 meters ( R226 , later R1114 ) long and equipped with a 140 hp diesel engine.

The series has been continuously developed. In the last variants R1015 and R1115 built , the turbo diesel engine was tilted to one side in order to save overall height. These variants were built from 1978.

The R-series was primarily a competitor of various Bedford - chassis , which were very successful at that time. Both chassis were a cheaper alternative to the designs of then market leader Leyland Motors and later Volvo and DAF . A synchronized transmission was standard, but some vehicles were later fitted with Allison automatic transmissions to reduce the driver's workload in urban areas. The superstructures came from Duple Coachbuilders ( Duple Dominant ) and from Plaxton ( Plaxton Panorama Elite and Plaxton Supreme ) as well as from Willowbrook .

The R-Series was extremely popular in Great Britain in the 1970s. After the election of the Conservative government in 1979, however, the subsidies for local public transport were sharply reduced, so that the demand subsided. The last vehicles were produced in 1986. Buses with a front engine are now rarely used in Europe, as there are increased demands on accessibility that can only be met with low-floor buses . Some R-series buses are still used for passenger transport, such as B. in Malta , other vehicles were converted to mobile homes and car transporters.

Jersey Motor Transport was a major user of the buses built on this chassis . In the 1970s and 1980s, the fleet consisted almost entirely of R-series buses. The reason was the willingness of the manufacturer and various bodywork companies to deliver non-standardized, shorter and narrower buses that corresponded to the local size restrictions. Most of these buses had the narrow body of the Duple Dominant , earlier bodies also came from Willowbrook, later from Wadham Stringer. Jersey Motor Transport also owned a number of larger and longer Plaxton superstructures buses originally built for operators in the north east of England. These buses required special operating regulations and could only be used on some routes in Jersey . Because of the operating restrictions, they were sold after a few years.

  • Ford R192, body Duple

  • Ford R1114 Plaxton body 1978

Hyundai R192 / R182

The South Korean manufacturer Hyundai built the Ford R192 with the 125 hp diesel engine from 1969 to 1976 and the R182 with the 150 hp diesel engine from 1973 to 1977 using badge engineering . After that, Hyundai replaced them with the Hyundai HD160 / HD170 series that they had developed themselves .

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