The Leyland Panther was a rear-engined single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between the years 1964 and 1972. A version with a smaller engine was released as the Leyland Panther Cub.[1]
| Leyland Panther | |
|---|---|
 Preserved Plaxton bodied Leyland Panther in Winchester in January 2013 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Leyland |
| Production | 1964–1972 |
| Assembly | Farington, England |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 or 2 |
| Floor type | Step entrance |
| Chassis | Stepped ladder frame with straight high ladder frame option |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Leyland 0.600H Leyland 0.680H |
| Capacity | 9.8 litres 11.1 litres |
| Power output | 125-200 bhp |
| Transmission | Leyland SCG Pneumocyclic with ZF or Voith options |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 11.0 metres |
| Width | 2.5 metres |
| Height | 3.0 metres |
| Curb weight | 16 tonne GVW max |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Leyland National |
History
editThe Leyland Panther was introduced in 1964. In total, over 600 Panthers were built for operators in the United Kingdom, while about 700 Panther chassis were built for export.[2][better source needed]
Operators
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United Kingdom
editSunderland Corporation Transport ordered 30 Panthers in 1965 with Stratchans bodies, all of which were delivered by December 1966;[3][4] by 1971 the fleet was 90 strong.[5] Liverpool City Transport ordered a total of 110 Panthers with Metro Cammell Weymann bodywork while Southport Corporation Transport ordered 22 with Marshall Bus bodywork.[6][7][8] Preston Corporation amassed a fleet of 41 Panthers, including a number with Seddon Pennine bodies and the last six Panthers built.[citation needed]
Hull Corporation Transport were an early adopter of the Leyland Panther with Charles H. Roe bodywork, with one Panther being built in 1964 initially for exhibition by the manufacturer at the Commercial Motor Show. Hull Corporation would eventually take on a total twelve Roe-bodied Panthers.[9][10][11] East Yorkshire Motor Services also ordered Panthers, ordering 19 with Marshall bodywork in 1965 and 1966,[12] while the West Riding Automobile Company took 45 Leyland Panthers in 1967 with both Marshall and Roe bodywork.[13] One has been preserved at the Dewsbury Bus Museum and is restored to "as delivered" condition.
Exports
editStorstockholms Lokaltrafik in Sweden had 200 left-hand drive Panthers bodied by Park Royal Vehicles.[14]
The largest quantity of Panthers was purchased by Australia's Brisbane City Council, who purchased 341 between 1966 and 1970.[15] The Metropolitan Transport Trust in Perth purchased 127 between 1968 and 1974.[16] A few operators including Forest Coach Lines, Grenda's Bus Service, Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines and Rover Coaches also purchased Panthers.[17][18]
Some second-hand Panthers were imported into Australia from Sweden and the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and operated by Fearne's Coaches, Forest Coach Lines, Grenda's Bus Service, Invicta Bus Services and Keiraville Bus Service.[19]
Ten Panthers were sold to Dunedin City Transport in New Zealand,[20] while another ten went to Egged in Israel and were locally bodied by Ha'argaz.[21]
References
edit- Jack, The Leyland Bus (Mark 2), Glossop 1981
- ^ Leyland's Panther has a Cub Commercial Motor 4 September 1964
- ^ Leyland Panther Bus Lists on the Web
- ^ Sunderland Bus Switch Proposals Commercial Motor 3 September 1965
- ^ Sunderland may buy foreign Commercial Motor 19 December 1969
- ^ "Bus Lists On The Web". Archived from the original on 3 April 2007.
- ^ Liverpool order may include Swifts Commercial Motor 27 January 1967
- ^ Smart Panthers from Marshalls Commercial Motor 13 August 1971
- ^ First o-m-o Panthers for Liverpool Commercial Motor 19 April 1968
- ^ "Park Royal Body on New Panther Cub". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 4 September 1964. p. 58. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "More Roe-bodied Leylands for Hull". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 29 October 1965. p. 38. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ Wells, Malcolm; Morfitt, Paul (2017). Hull Corporation Buses. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-4456-6754-6. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ "Large Orders for Marshall". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 16 July 1965. p. 37. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "More Bus Bodies from Marshall". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 1 April 1966. p. 37. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ Leyland Gets Stockholm's Order Commercial Motor 11 June 1965
- ^ Brisbane goes for Panthers Commercial Motor 8 July 1966
- ^ Tilley, Bruce (1985). MTT Perth. Elizabeth: Railmac Publications. p. 18. ISBN 0-949817-47-3.
- ^ "Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines" Australian Bus Panorama issue 8/4 December 1992 page 8
- ^ New South Wales Bus Operators and Fleet Listings. Sydney: Historic Commercial Vehicle Association. 1993. p. 26.
- ^ Tilley, Bruce (1986). British Buses in Australia. Elizabeth: Railmac Publications. pp. 38, 39, 46. ISBN 0-949817-52-X.
- ^ Millar, Sean; Lynas, Ian (1983). Leyland Buses in Australia and New Zealand. Auckland: Millars Transport Books. p. 15.
- ^ Leylands for S Africa and Israel Commercial Motor 25 September 1964
External links
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Media related to Leyland Panther at Wikimedia Commons