Duple 425

The Duple 425 was a coach design built by Hestair Duple in the late 1980s.

It was a fully integral coach, unlike most contemporary designs which had a separate body and chassis, and was notable for its streamlined design with a sloping upper windscreen and a drag coefficient of Cd=0.425, hence the model designation.

History

In June 1983, the Duple coachbuilding firm had been sold to the Hestair Group, which had previously acquired Dennis Brothers of Guildford. Duple was renamed Hestair Duple, and a new integral coach with Dennis running units, the 425, was developed, production beginning in 1985. It had a rear-mounted Cummins or DAF engine with automatic transmission, and a typical layout seated 57 passengers. [1]

In November 1988, the business was sold and renamed Duple International. Sales of the 425 were limited, only about 130 vehicles being completed, although many are still in service unlike most of their competitors. [2][3]

In July 1989 the Blackpool factory was closed down, and the manufacturing rights and jigs for Duple coach products sold to its main domestic competitor, Plaxton, for £4 million. The 425 design was modified in 1991 for production by Carrosserie Lorraine, a French subsidiary of Plaxton, but only 12 further vehicles were built. [4]

References

  1. ↑ Hymans, Michael (2016). British Coaching: Chassis Manufacturers, Coachbuilders and Operators.
  2. ↑ "Duple - 1983-1985 Seasons". Bus Lists on the Web. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "Duple - 1985-1989 Seasons". Bus Lists on the Web. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Plaxton's". Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
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