Ford R-Series
Encyclopedia
The Ford R-Series is a range of bus
and coach
chassis
evolved from designs made by Ford
's Thames
commercial vehicle subsidiary until the mid-1960s. A number of components were shared with the D-series
lorry, including the engine which was mounted vertically at the front of the vehicle, ahead of the front axle
so as to provide a passenger entrance opposite the driver
. The original R192 and longer R226 models later became the R1014 and R1114 variants (nominally 10 and 11 metres long respectively with 140 bhp engines) which with constant revision and upgrading had become R1015 and R1115 by the mid-1980s. In an attempt to lower the floor height of the vehicle, the turbocharged diesel engine
was tilted over to one side around 1978. Synchromesh transmission
was fitted as standard but some later examples were equipped with Allison
automatic gearboxes to ease the driver's workload in urban areas.
chassis that were also successful during the same era, both makes being cheaper alternatives to offerings from the then market leader Leyland and later foreign imports such as Volvo
and DAF
.
the design was popular during the 1970s, when considerable financial assistance was available to operators for fleet renewal, but following the election of the Conservative
Government in 1979, the subsidy
money began to dry up causing demand for full-size buses and coaches to decline and the last R-Series was built around 1986. Front-engined buses have generally fallen out of favour in Europe
, as new accessibility requirements favour rear- or side-engined designs so as a low front entrance can be provided. Few examples of the Ford R-series remain in current passenger use, but many have gone on to second lives as mobile homes and stock car transporters
.
consisted 100% of this bus model for several years during this period, and was chosen because of the manufacturer's willingness to supply chassis of non-standard width and length to suit local size limits. Many of these vehicles received bodywork by Duple
whose narrow width Dominant also found buyers on other chassis in the UK, but earlier examples were constructed by Willowbrook and later versions by Wadham Stringer. JMT also had a number of longer, wider examples which had started life in the late 1960s with Trimdon Motor Services in the north-east of England
; these Plaxton
-bodied buses required special dispensation to operate on the island being restricted to certain services where the roads could accommodate them and were all sold for further use after a few years. A similar model was used by the Inner London Education Authority
as school bus
es.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
and coach
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...
chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
evolved from designs made by Ford
Ford of Britain
Ford of Britain is a British wholly owned subsidiary of Ford of Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Its business started in 1909 and has its registered office in Brentwood, Essex...
's Thames
Thames Trader
The Thames Trader was a range of trucks manufactured by the British arm of the Ford Motor Company built between 1957 and 1965.-Design:The distinctive cab design, which sets it apart from other British commercial vehicles, was a forward-control design and the Thames Trader model covered a much...
commercial vehicle subsidiary until the mid-1960s. A number of components were shared with the D-series
Ford D-series
The Ford D-Series was a range of middle weight trucks introduced by Ford of Britain in 1965. It replaced the Thames Trader and appears to have been envisaged as a more modern competitor to the Bedford TK produced by General Motors' UK truck subsidiary....
lorry, including the engine which was mounted vertically at the front of the vehicle, ahead of the front axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
so as to provide a passenger entrance opposite the driver
Bus driver
A bus driver, bus operator or omnibus driver is a person who drives buses professionally. Bus drivers typically drive their vehicles between bus stations or stops. They often drop off and pick up passengers on a predetermined route schedule. In British English a different term, coach drivers, is...
. The original R192 and longer R226 models later became the R1014 and R1114 variants (nominally 10 and 11 metres long respectively with 140 bhp engines) which with constant revision and upgrading had become R1015 and R1115 by the mid-1980s. In an attempt to lower the floor height of the vehicle, the turbocharged diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
was tilted over to one side around 1978. Synchromesh transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
was fitted as standard but some later examples were equipped with Allison
Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission is an American manufacturer of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction,...
automatic gearboxes to ease the driver's workload in urban areas.
Competitors
The R-Series was principally a competitor to the various BedfordBedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, itself the British subsidiary of General Motors , established in 1930; and constructing commercial vehicles. Bedford Vehicles was a leading international truck manufacturer, with substantial export sales of...
chassis that were also successful during the same era, both makes being cheaper alternatives to offerings from the then market leader Leyland and later foreign imports such as Volvo
Volvo Buses
Volvo Buses is a subsidiary and a business area of the Swedish vehicle maker Volvo, which became an independent division in 1968. It is based in Göteborg....
and DAF
VDL Bus International
VDL Bus Chassis is a Netherlands-based bus builder which originated from the bus-building business of DAF.Originally named DAF Bus International after being separated from the truck-building business of DAF, it joined the United Bus in 1990...
.
Popularity
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the design was popular during the 1970s, when considerable financial assistance was available to operators for fleet renewal, but following the election of the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Government in 1979, the subsidy
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
money began to dry up causing demand for full-size buses and coaches to decline and the last R-Series was built around 1986. Front-engined buses have generally fallen out of favour in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, as new accessibility requirements favour rear- or side-engined designs so as a low front entrance can be provided. Few examples of the Ford R-series remain in current passenger use, but many have gone on to second lives as mobile homes and stock car transporters
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
.
Major users
Another significant user of the type was Jersey Motor Transport, who during the 1970s and 1980s purchased little else. The operational fleetFleet vehicles
Fleet vehicles are groups of motor vehicles owned or leased by a business or government agency, rather than by an individual or family. Typical examples are vehicles operated by car rental companies, taxicab companies, public utilities, public bus companies, and police departments...
consisted 100% of this bus model for several years during this period, and was chosen because of the manufacturer's willingness to supply chassis of non-standard width and length to suit local size limits. Many of these vehicles received bodywork by Duple
Duple Coachbuilders
Duple was best known as a British manufacturer of coach and bus bodywork from 1919 until 1989.-History:Duple Bodies & Motors Ltd was formed in 1919 by Herbert White in Hornsey, London...
whose narrow width Dominant also found buyers on other chassis in the UK, but earlier examples were constructed by Willowbrook and later versions by Wadham Stringer. JMT also had a number of longer, wider examples which had started life in the late 1960s with Trimdon Motor Services in the north-east of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; these 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:...
-bodied buses required special dispensation to operate on the island being restricted to certain services where the roads could accommodate them and were all sold for further use after a few years. A similar model was used by the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
as school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
es.