Plaxton Panorama Elite

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The name Plaxton Panorama Elite refers to a bus body made by the British manufacturer Plaxton in Scarborough , Yorkshire , England . The superstructures were manufactured from 1968 to 1975. A variant with wider, double-leaf doors was built as the Plaxton Elite Express . All variants are commonly referred to as Plaxton Elite . The predecessor was the Plaxton Panorama I , the successor to the Plaxton Supreme . A total of around 6000 superstructures were produced. Together with the Duple Dominant from Duple Coachbuildersthey were the ubiquitous bus models in Great Britain in the 1970s. Some buses with an elite body are currently still in use in public transport on the island of Malta .

The Plaxton Elite had curved sides and a double-curved front and rear window, the front and rear windows were the same. The body around the windshield was slightly drawn in. The length was emphasized by up to four chrome strips, the radiator grille and headlights were framed in a dominant chrome mask. The design of the chrome mask was there from the previous Panorama I accepted. Various body lengths between 11 and 12 m in length were available.

In the Elite I version , the emergency exit was located directly behind the driver's seat. The corresponding window and the window behind the entrance door on the opposite side were narrower and less high than the other side windows. The two chrome strips on each side converged towards the stern. The round rear lights are arranged vertically. Usually there was an illuminated display under the rear window to show the name of the bus company.

The Elite II version had a more angular surround for the headlights and grille. The height of the small side windows was adjusted to the other side windows.

The front of the Elite III version was largely similar to the Elite II . Only the target display was framed by a square chrome frame. The two round taillights were replaced by a single, vertical, diamond-shaped taillight. The chrome strips on the side were designed in different versions depending on the customer's wishes. The position of the emergency exit initially remained behind the driver's seat, but was moved further back over the course of the series.

All three variants were also produced in the express configuration with wider, two-part doors. This enabled the buses to be used cost-effectively both as intercity and city buses.

A narrower version with a width of 2.3 m was also built for some customers.

In the case of superstructures on the Bristol chassis, there was no space for the usual target display due to the location of the radiator and the fan. This was therefore installed in a bulge above the windshield. This design became known as the Bristol Dome and was later used for bodies on other chassis.

The body was built on chassis from various manufacturers, including:

  • Plaxton Elite Express III, Leyland Leopard chassis

  • Plaxton Elite, Bedford 466 chassis

  • Plaxton Elite III, Bedford YRQ chassis

  • Plaxton Elite II, used for the Magical Mystery Tour in Liverpool

Web links

Commons : Plaxton Panorama Elite  - collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • Alan Townsin (Ed.): Plaxtons The Great British Coach Builders . Transport Publishing Company, 1982, ISBN 0-903839-69-5 .
  • Stewart J. Brown: Plaxton 100 Years: A Centenary of Innovation 1907-2007 . Ian Allan, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7110-3209-5 .