Leyland Panther
Encyclopedia
The Leyland Panther was a rear-engined single-deck bus chassis built by Leyland between 1964 and 1972. It gained a reputation for unreliability, which to some extent was common to many of the first generation of rear-engined single-deckers.
It was sold to a number of operators in the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel and New Zealand.
The largest quantity of Panthers was purchased by Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
who purchased 340. Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
AB, SL, in Sweden
took 200 left hand drive ones with bodywork by Park Royal Vehicles
. In total, over 639 Panthers were bodied as buses for UK operators , with Liverpool buying the biggest UK fleet (110), and about 700 chassis were built for export.
Panthers were also built as coaches
with a high straight chassis frame (PSUR1/2), most of these being exported to Argentinian coach operators and locally bodied. 27 coaches for the UK were bodied by Plaxton
, 18 went to Seamarks, Luton, one each to Soudley Valley Coaches and Bere Regis and District, four to Skills of Nottingham and three to East Yorkshire Motor Services
, who had nineteen of this variant new (and one ex-Ribble) with bus outline Marshall bodies and the two other UK coaches which had Metro-Cammell bodies. Ten units went to to Egged in Israel and locally bodied by Ha'argaz.
It was sold to a number of operators in the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel and New Zealand.
The largest quantity of Panthers was purchased by Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
who purchased 340. Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, , commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County....
AB, SL, in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
took 200 left hand drive ones with bodywork by Park Royal Vehicles
Park Royal Vehicles
Dating its origins back to 1889, Park Royal Vehicles along with its Leeds-based subsidiary Charles H. Roe was one of Britain's leading coachbuilders and bus manufacturers based at Park Royal, west London, UK.-Associated Commercial Vehicles:...
. In total, over 639 Panthers were bodied as buses for UK operators , with Liverpool buying the biggest UK fleet (110), and about 700 chassis were built for export.
Panthers were also built as coaches
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
with a high straight chassis frame (PSUR1/2), most of these being exported to Argentinian coach operators and locally bodied. 27 coaches for the UK were bodied by Plaxton
Plaxton
Plaxton is a builder of bus and coach vehicle bodies based in Scarborough, England.-History:The Plaxton of today is the successor to a business founded in Scarborough in 1907 by Frederick William Plaxton.-Beginnings:...
, 18 went to Seamarks, Luton, one each to Soudley Valley Coaches and Bere Regis and District, four to Skills of Nottingham and three to East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services is a large bus and coach operator which operates throughout Kingston upon Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire coast and the North York Moors. In and around Scarborough, EYMS operates as Scarborough & District Motor Services...
, who had nineteen of this variant new (and one ex-Ribble) with bus outline Marshall bodies and the two other UK coaches which had Metro-Cammell bodies. Ten units went to to Egged in Israel and locally bodied by Ha'argaz.