Dennis Lance

Dennis Lance

CentreWest Wright Pathfinder bodied Dennis Lance SLF on route 222 at Hounslow bus station in September 1998
Overview
Manufacturer Dennis
Production 1991-2000
Body and chassis
Doors 1 or 2
Floor type Dennis Lance:
Step entrance
Dennis Lance SLF:
Low floor
Powertrain
Engine Cummins C8.3
Transmission ZF Ecomat
Dimensions
Length 10 metres, 10.6 metres & 11.6 metres
Width 2.5 metres
Chronology
Predecessor Dennis Falcon

The Dennis Lance was a single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Dennis between 1991 and 2000, replacing the Dennis Falcon. Its low floor variant, the Dennis Lance SLF that SLF stands for Super Low Floor and it was built between 1993 and 1996.

History

The Dennis Lance was unveiled at the 1991 Coach & Bus Show.[1][2]

The Dennis Lance was available with a number of bodies, most commonly the Alexander PS and Plaxton Verde also 31 with Northern Counties, were built for Metroline in 1993 for routes 113 and 302 from Cricklewood garage. It was sold to a number of bus operators in the United Kingdom, and was also exported to Hong Kong and Singapore (ordered by Trans Island Bus Services), all were scrapped by July 2013. UMW-Dennis of Malaysia also built a number of Lance chassis (known as the UMW-Dennis Lance) for the Southeast Asian market.

In 1993, the low floor Dennis Lance SLF was unveiled.[3] Of around 105 Dennis Lance SLF built, the majority had Wright Pathfinder bodywork, including 38 for London Buses for use on the first London routes to be converted to low floor including London United's route 120 and CentreWest's route 222, being two of five routes to introduce the type to the capital.

The Berkhof Excellence 1000 NL bodywork was fitted to 30 dual purpose specialist vehicles for the British Airports Authority for use on staff shuttle duties at Heathrow Airport, delivered in 1994/95, and also five each for Stagecoach East Kent and Stagecoach Ribble.

In Hong Kong, Kowloon Motor Bus had 24 with Alexander PS bodywork and they are retired by 2010.[4]

Not many survive today, in fact there are only 6 known in Preservation within the UK.

References

  1. Lance creates a star Commercial Motor 7 March 1991
  2. Dennis Lance: first order Commercial Motor 5 September 1991
  3. Lowdown on a Lance Commercial Motor 27 May 1993
  4. "Hong Kong Buses Part 3: Kowloon Motor Bus" Fleetline issue 249 July 1997 page 118
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