Plaxton Supreme
The name Plaxton Supreme refers to a bus body made by the British manufacturer Plaxton in Scarborough , Yorkshire , England . From 1974 the model replaced the previous Panorama on smaller chassis, from the following year it replaced the Panorama Elite on normal chassis . From 1982/83 it was replaced by the Paramount , however superstructures for use on the Bedford VAS chassis were still produced until 1986. The structure was an all-steel construction in contrast to the previous models, which were still made of wood and steel in a mixed construction. Together with the Duple Dominant from Duple Coachbuilders and the Panorama Elite , they were the ubiquitous bus models in Great Britain in the 1970s. Some buses with a Supreme body are currently still in use in public transport on the island of Malta .
The variants Supreme I , II and III were originally only referred to as Supreme , so the definition of the individual versions is problematic. According to the Plaxton website, the Supreme I was built for the Bedford VAS chassis and the Supreme for the Bristol LHS chassis . According to the spare parts lists , the version in mixed construction was intended for chassis of the types Leyland Leopard , Bedford YLQ / YMT , Ford R1014 / R1114 , AEC and Volvo B58 , while the Supreme III version was an all-steel construction. Both versions - in mixed construction and as an all-steel construction - were manufactured in parallel in 1976/77 and are externally indistinguishable. However, there is a possibility of differentiation based on the body number with the suffix AM (all metal) or an M inserted in the middle for the all-steel structures.
The design was clearly based on the Elite III , but was slightly modified. The windshield was more curved, the joint surrounds of the headlights and radiator grille changed, and the grille itself was wider. The shape and arrangement of the chrome trim strips on the side differed according to customer requirements. The rear of the vehicle was less rounded than its predecessor.
The design received a facelift in 1978 and was named Supreme IV . The upper edge of the windshield was flatter and the beads above the windshield were omitted. The radiator grille and headlight area were completely redesigned, two rectangular headlights sat on each side next to the wider radiator grille, the common surround was omitted. The shape and arrangement of the decorative strips on the side have also been changed, and the window in the door has been pulled down further.
The Supreme V version got a flatter rear, similar to the successor Paramount . The rear lights were arranged in two vertical bands. The shape of the rest of the vehicle did not change. The Supreme VI was simultaneously the Supreme V built. Intended for overnight express connections, the exterior was essentially unchanged.
Versions with wider, double-leaf doors were the Supreme Express , Supreme IV Express , Supreme V Express and Supreme VI Express . The Viewmaster and Viewmaster IV were 30 cm higher versions. To prevent the vehicle from tipping over in certain situations, the vehicle's center of gravity was lowered. The taller windshield of the Supreme III was used. The Viewmaster was also available as an express .
Some bodies were also produced for the Bedford CF and Mercedes L608D chassis . These were given the name Mini Supreme .
The body was built on chassis from various manufacturers, including:
- Leyland leopard , tiger
- AEC Reliance
- Bedford Y Series, VAS and SB
- DAF MB200 , SB2005
- Bristol LH
- Ford R series
- Seddon Pennine (Seddon VII)
- Mercedes-Benz O 303
- Volvo B655, B755, B58 , B10M
- Magirus-Deutz
- Ward Dalesman
photos
Plaxton Supreme, Bedford chassis
Plaxton Supreme, Leyland Tiger chassis
Plaxton Supreme IV, Leyland Leopard chassis
Plaxton Supreme I-III, Bedford chassis
literature
- Townsin, Alan (Editor): Plaxtons The Great British Coach Builders . Transport Publishing Company, 1982. ISBN 0-903839-69-5
- Brown, Stewart J .: Plaxton 100 Years: A Centenary of Innovation 1907-2007 . Ian Allan, 2007. ISBN 0711032092
Web links
- Register (worldwide) (English)
- Register and image gallery of the buses in Malta (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Images of Plaxton Past . In: Plaxton Centenary 2007 website . Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
