Dennis Lance
| Dennis Lance Dennis Arrow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Dennis |
| Production | 1991-2000 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 or 2 |
| Floor type | Dennis Lance/Arrow: Step entrance Dennis Lance SLF: Low floor |
| Related | Dennis Trident 3 |
| 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 Dennis Dominator |
| Successor | Dennis Dart SPD Alexander Dennis Enviro300 |
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 (Super Low Floor) was built between 1993 and 1996. Between 1995 and 1998, Dennis also built its double-deck variant, the Dennis Arrow (initially marketed as double-deck Dennis Lance), as the replacement of the Dennis Dominator.
History[edit]
Lance[edit]
The Dennis Lance was unveiled at the 1991 Coach & Bus Show as larger version of the Dennis Dart and successor to the Dennis Falcon.[1][2][3]
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, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore. UMW-Dennis of Malaysia also built a number of Lance chassis (known as the UMW-Dennis Lance) for the Southeast Asian market.[3]
Lance SLF[edit]
In 1993, the low floor Dennis Lance SLF was unveiled.[4] 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.[5][better source needed]
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.[3]
Arrow[edit]
The double-deck equivalent of the Lance was the Dennis Arrow, which was available with Northern Counties Palatine and East Lancs E Type/Pyoneer bodywork. The Arrow was sold to just five operators in the United Kingdom, including Capital Citybus who bought 54[6] of the 73 built (the total number also included two purpose-built playbuses), London & Country who took ten[7] and Nottingham City Transport who took four. The Dennis Arrow was superseded by the low-floor Dennis Trident 2.
Exports[edit]
In Hong Kong, Kowloon Motor Bus had 24 Lances delivered with Alexander PS bodywork.[8]
In Malaysia, Triton Commuter used to operate a fleet of UMW-Dennis Lance with Duple Metsec bodywork where previously purchased and used by Naeila Corps before the company was bought over by Causeway Link. Some of the buses continued service with Causeway Link, while others were sold to 707 Travel Group. Transit Link JB also operated a small number of UMW-Dennis Lance with Duple Metsec bodywork.
In New Zealand, Ritchies Coachlines operate a UMW-Dennis Lance with Duple Metsec bodywork.
In Singapore, Trans-Island Bus Services ordered 72 units, of which 52 were built by UMW-Dennis. Most were fitted with Duple Metsec bodywork, while the last two were fitted with Volgren bodywork.
References[edit]
- ^ "Lance creates a stir". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 7 March 1991. p. 22. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ "Dennis Lance: first order". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 5 September 1991. p. 18. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ a b c Goundry, Andy (23 March 2020). Dennis Buses and Other Vehicles. Crowood. pp. 141–147. ISBN 978-1-78500-708-8. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ "Lowdown on a Lance". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 27 May 1993. p. 27. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ Gill, Simon (March 2017). "A Scania returns". Bus & Coach Preservation. Vol. 19, no. 10. Coventry: Presbus Publishing. p. 46. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
The UK market for low-floor single-deckers was slow to develop, although it started to gain popularity in 1993 when London Buses ordered 68, comprising 38 Dennis Lance SLFs and 30 Scania N113CRLs all with Wright Pathfinder bodies. These entered service the following year where the concept was proved by converting whole routes.
- ^ Smith, Ian (5 November 2014). "Dennis Arrow". Ian's Bus Stop. Archived from the original on 12 November 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ Smith, Ian (5 November 2014). "Dennis Arrow AD Class". Ian's Bus Stop. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ "Hong Kong Buses Part 3: Kowloon Motor Bus". Fleetline. No. 249. Sydney: Transport Enthusiasts Society of South Australia. July 1997. p. 118.
External links[edit]
Media related to Dennis Lance at Wikimedia Commons