Wright Renown

File:Keighley & District bus at Keighley bus station.jpg Wright Renown at Keighley bus station, August 2009]]

Launched as the successor to the Wright Liberator body on the Volvo B10L chassis in 1997, the Wright Renown was the first bus in the Wright range to debut the company's 'Floline' low-floor system. Compared to previous Wright low-entry buses which had multiple steps in the interior separating the entrance door from the back of the bus, the Renown had only one step along a gently sloped floor in the middle of the bus, with a manual wheelchair ramp at the entrance door also provided as standard. This system in both single and dual-door format was tested extensively at the Motor Industry Research Association's Warwickshire proving grounds before its official launch with the Renown.{{cite magazine |last=Morgan |first=Mike |url=https://archive.org/details/cbw-pre2010/page/n7/mode/2up |date=17 May 1997 |issue=269 |pages=8–9 |title=Wrights add a new dimension to access |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap |access-date=24 March 2024}}{{cite magazine |last=Morris |first=Stephen |url=https://archive.org/details/busesmag-pre2010/page/22/mode/2up |title=Low Renown |magazine=Buses |location=Hersham |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |pages=22–23 |date=July 1997 |access-date=24 March 2024}}

Built with an Alusuisse bolted aluminium frame as standard among other Wright products at the time, the Renown was also the first {{convert|12|m}} low-floor bus in Europe to feature gasket glazed windows as a result of the extra body strength from the Floline design; previous low-floor buses had featured bonded glazed windows, which took longer to replace and compromised the structural integrity of the body when broken.{{cite magazine |last=Morgan |first=Mike |url=https://archive.org/details/cbw-pre2010/page/n7/mode/2up |date=17 May 1997 |issue=269 |pages=8–9 |title=First 12-metre lowfloor to use gasket glazing |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap |access-date=24 March 2024}}

The Renown, as well as the overall Floline concept, were replaced by the 'Millennium Design' Eclipse (later Eclipse Metro) on the Volvo B7L chassis. Due to the unpopularity of the longitudinal chassis, Wright developed the Eclipse Urban on the Volvo B7RLE chassis in 2003, which became the true successor of the Renown.{{cite press release |author= |date=29 October 2003 |title=Eclipse Urban – A complement to the Wrightbus Eclipse |url=http://www.wrightbus.com/newspopup.asp?item_id=97 |url-status=dead |location=Ballymena |publisher=WrightGroup |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040112101902/http://www.wrightbus.com/newspopup.asp?item_id=97 |archive-date=12 January 2004 |access-date=12 December 2023}}

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File:First Somerset and Avon bus 66110 (R910 BOU) 1998 Volvo B10BLE Wrightbus Renown, Bristol, 25 June 2011.jpg Wright Renown in Bristol in June 2011]]

File:Arriva bus 4509 Volvo B10BLE Wrightbus Renown V509 DFT in Newcastle 9 May 2009 pic 1.jpg Wright Renown in Newcastle upon Tyne in May 2009]]

Upon its launch, the FirstGroup placed an initial order for 112 Renowns for delivery to its Manchester, Bristol, West Yorkshire and Northampton operations,{{cite news |date=8 May 1997 |title=Renown helps disabled |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/renow-helps-disabled/28370192.html |work=Belfast Telegraph |access-date=7 December 2023}}{{cite magazine |last=Morgan |first=Mike |url=https://archive.org/details/cbw-pre2010/page/n7/mode/2up |date=17 May 1997 |issue=269 |pages=8–9 |title=Orders taken for Floline |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap |access-date=24 March 2024}} with the first nine production Renowns delivered as 'GOLDService' buses to First Manchester in late 1997;{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/cbw-issue299/page/30/mode/1up |date=11 December 1997 |issue=299 |page=30 |title=Service Renowned |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap |access-date=1 June 2024}} the group ordered further Renowns until 2001 for its South Yorkshire,{{cite book |last1=Hudson |first1=Neil |last2=Nolan |first2=Gary |last3=Sentance |first3=Darren |title=The region's favourite: the story of South Yorkshire Transport and Mainline 1986 to 1998 from the inside |date=2021 |publisher=The Omnibus Society |location=Walsall |isbn=978-1-909091-33-7}}{{rp|207-208}} Hampshire, Glasgow, Eastern Scotland and Aberdeen operations.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} These Renowns were among the first in the group's fleet to be delivered with a new low-floor interior design featuring purple, grey and aquamarine fittings and seat cushions as well as wider seat spacing and hard-wearing non-slip flooring.{{cite magazine |last=Cole |first=Martin |url=https://archive.org/details/buscoachbuyer-issue422/page/18/mode/2up |date=15 August 1997 |title=Public reaction to the new FirstBus standard |magazine=Bus & Coach Buyer |issue=422 |pages=18–19 |location=Spalding |publisher=Glen-Holland Limited |access-date=1 June 2024}}

The Renown was also highly popular with the Blazefield Group, with a total of 125 delivered to its Harrogate, Keighley, Yorkshire Coastliner, Lancashire United and Burnley operations throughout the type's production run.{{cite magazine |last=Barrow |first=David |url=https://archive.org/details/cbw-issue485/page/26/mode/2up |date=2 August 2001 |issue=485 |pages=26-27 |title=Trail-blazing in the North West |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap |access-date=14 July 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6019454.2m-new-bus-fleet-hits-road/ |title=£2m new bus fleet hits road |work=Lancashire Telegraph|date=16 July 2001 |access-date=7 December 2023}}{{cite magazine |last=Newton |first=Chris |date=22 October 2020 |title=A Volvo of Renown |url=https://www.keybuses.com/article/volvo-renown |magazine=Buses |issue=788 |pages=42–44 |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing |access-date=12 December 2023}} Among these, Blazefield took delivery of both the last Renowns built and the last Volvo B10BLEs for the UK market, consisting of an order for 41 examples that were delivered mainly to Lancashire United between late 2001 and early 2002.{{cite news |author= |title=Wrightbus expands as market contracts |url=http://www.busandcoach.com/february2002/main.html#news3 |url-status=dead |work=Bus & Coach Professional |date=February 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020809003300/http://www.busandcoach.com/february2002/main.html#news3 |archive-date=9 August 2002 |access-date=6 December 2023}}

Ninety Renowns were delivered to Translink of Northern Ireland between late 1999 and early 2000, with 45 each entering service with Citybus of Belfast and Ulsterbus respectively.{{cite news |last=Morton |first=Robin |date=17 November 1998 |title=Bus builder wins new contract |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/bus-builder-wins-new-contract/28294031.html |work=Belfast Telegraph |access-date=6 December 2023}}{{cite magazine |last=Savage |first=Paul |date=19 April 2023 |title=Through The Troubles to today |url=https://www.keybuses.com/article/through-troubles-today |magazine=Buses |issue=818 |pages=50–55 |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing |access-date=5 December 2023 |url-access=subscription |quote=The low floor revolution reached Belfast in 1996 when the first of 50 Volvo B10Ls, with Alexander 'Ultra' bodies hit the streets. Forty-five Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown arrived in 1999-2000, as did six Mercedes-Benz O405N and four O405GN bendybuses.}} Twenty Renowns were also delivered to Bus Éireann in 2000 for service in Cork.{{cite news |author= |date=9 August 2000 |title=Buses roll out for Cork route |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/buses-roll-out-for-cork-route/28316930.html |work=Belfast Telegraph |access-date=6 December 2023}}

The Wright Renown was also popular with some Go-Ahead Group companies. Go North East took delivery of 38 Renowns across four batches between 1998 and 2000,{{cite magazine |last=Larkin |first=Nick |date=July 2016 |volume=19 |issue=2 |title=Getting the Go-Ahead |magazine=Bus & Coach Preservation |pages=22–26 |publisher=Meteor Books}} while 21 Renowns were delivered to Brighton & Hove in 1998.{{cite book|last=Lyons|first=Mark|title=The Go-Ahead Group: The First 25 Years |chapter=Brighton & Hove |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_1zEAAAQBAJ |access-date=6 December 2023|date=30 June 2022|publisher=Key Publishing|isbn=978-1-80282-082-9|page=34}} The Oxford Bus Company also took delivery of Renowns specified in dual-door arrangement to deal with heavy passenger crowding in the tourist city between 1999 and 2000.{{cite book|last=Lyons|first=Mark|title=The Go-Ahead Group: The First 25 Years |chapter=Oxford Bus Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_1zEAAAQBAJ |access-date=7 December 2023|date=30 June 2022|publisher=Key Publishing|isbn=978-1-80282-082-9|page=44}}

Thirty Renowns were delivered to Arriva operations in Northumbria,{{cite magazine |last=Lidstone |first=John G. |url=https://archive.org/details/buses-issue539/page/42/mode/1up |title=Fleet News England & Wales |magazine=Buses |issue=539 |pages=42 |location=Hersham |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |date=February 2000 |access-date=24 April 2024}} West Scotland and The Shires during 1999, twenty-five Renowns were delivered to Travel Dundee between 1997 and 1999, while ten were delivered to Mainline Buses in December 1997 for service in Sheffield, with a further 20 ordered for delivery in 1998 prior to the company being acquired by the FirstGroup.{{rp|196-197}} Liverpool-based independent CMT Buses took delivery of eighteen Renowns beteween 1999 and 2000,{{cite magazine |last=Lidstone |first=John G. |url=https://archive.org/details/buses-issue527/page/41/mode/1up |title=Fleet News England & Wales |magazine=Buses |issue=527 |pages=41 |location=Hersham |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |date=February 1999 |access-date=24 April 2024 |quote=The age profile of this fleet continues to drop; the latest additions are 10 Wright Renown B44F-bodied Volvo B10BLEs, S447-56 KCW. These are additional to the existing fleet, which now stands at 72, of which 32 are low-floor.}}{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/cbw-issue451/page/32/mode/1up |date=30 November 2000 |issue=451 |page=32 |title=Wright vehicles for CMT |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap |access-date=24 April 2024}} while the Renown was also popular with some independently-run bus companies in Scotland, with examples delivered to Hutchinson's of Overtown as well as White of Walls, Shetland.{{cite magazine |author= |date=20 February 2020 |title=Renown regains Hutchinson hues |magazine=Buses |issue=780 |page=66 |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing}}{{cite magazine |author= |date=20 June 2019 |title=Blue and cream Renown from Shetland isles |url=https://www.keybuses.com/article/poppy-red-renown-winchester |magazine=Buses |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing |issue=772 |page=67 |access-date=6 December 2023 |url-access=subscription}}

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Category:Low-floor buses

Renown

Category:Vehicles introduced in 1997