Plaxton Primo
{{Short description|Low-floor single-deck midibus body}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox automobile
| background =
| name = Plaxton Primo
| image = Carters Coach Services bus (BU08 ACV), Felixstowe, 2 May 2010.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Carters Plaxton Primo in Felixstowe in 2010
| manufacturer = Plaxton
| production = 2005–2010
| assembly = Scarborough, England
| replaced =
| capacity = 27 Seated, 16 Standing
43 passengers
| length = {{cvt|7.9|m}}
| width = {{cvt|2.4|m}}
| height = {{cvt|2.73|m}}
| floortype = Low floor
| doors = 1
| weight = {{cvt|3,500 to 12,000|kg}}
| chassis = Enterprise Bus Plasma
| engine = Cummins ISBe
| powerout = 138 bhp @ 2500 rpm
| transmission = Allison 2000 Series 5-speed automatic
}}
The Plaxton Primo was a low-floor minibus body manufactured by Plaxton on the Enterprise Bus Plasma chassis between 2005 and 2010.
Design
File:Countryliner PP1 KX06 LYP rear.JPG Plaxton Primo in Woking, Surrey in 2009]]
Launched in 2005, the Plaxton Primo body is the result of close cooperation between Enterprise Bus, the Hungarian chassis manufacturer, and Plaxton. The fully welded stainless steel integral chassis is supplied in right hand drive format as a running unit to Plaxton, with the final body assembly undertaken at their factory in Scarborough, England; the body and chassis design is also available in both single-leaf and two-door left hand drive form in Continental Europe. Much of the design of the Primo was also influenced the styling of the larger Centro.{{cite web|title=Plaxton Primo unveiled|url=http://www.busandcoach.com/featurepage.aspx?id=198&categoryid=0|work=Bus & Coach Professional|date=16 September 2005|access-date=10 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302011933/http://www.busandcoach.com/featurepage.aspx?id=198&categoryid=0|archive-date=2 March 2014}}
The Plaxton Primo was originally intended to replace the Plaxton Beaver body, built on the Mercedes-Benz Vario chassis, but pressure from small operators such as Western Greyhound persuaded Plaxton to continue the Beaver, as the larger Primo could not fit down narrow roads that the Vario was suited to.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
In 2008, Plaxton announced the Primo 2 with a number of modifications.{{specify|date=May 2024}} The Primos in service were also modified to Mk2 form to enhance reliability.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
Operators
The Primo proved particularly popular with independent bus operators in England and Wales. The first two Primos were delivered to TM Travel of Halfway, Sheffield between late 2005 and early 2006. Some of the first Primos produced were distributed via Mistral Bus & Coach, which took delivery of a total of 25 for its rental business during 2006. Six were delivered to East Yorkshire Motor Services in July 2006 for use on local services in Bridlington,{{cite web|title=EYMS: Six new accessible Plaxton Primos |url=http://www.busandcoach.com/newsStory.aspx?id=902 |work=Bus & Coach Professional|date=1 August 2006 |access-date=25 May 2024|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111100333/http://www.busandcoach.com/newsStory.aspx?id=902|archive-date=11 November 2007}} while another major customer for Primos towards the end of its production was Reays of Wigton, taking delivery of fourteen Primos during 2010.{{cite news |title=Reays give freebies to waiting passengers |url=https://cbwmagazine.com/reays-give-freebies-to-waiting-passengers/ |date=10 January 2012 |work=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |access-date=25 May 2024}}{{better source needed|date=May 2024}}
See also
- Optare Solo, the Plaxton Primo's integral competitor
- List of buses
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}
- {{portal-inline|Buses}}
{{Plaxton}}