Volvo Ailsa B55
| Volvo Ailsa B55 | |
|---|---|
_1976_Volvo_Ailsa_B55_Alexander_AV,_Birmingham,_1982.jpg)
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volvo |
| Production | 1974-1985 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 or 2 |
| Floor type | Step entrance |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Volvo TD70E/TD70H |
| Transmission | Self-Changing Gears/Voith |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | Various |
| Width | Various |
| Height | Various |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Volvo B10M Citybus |
The Volvo Ailsa B55 was a front-engined double-decker bus chassis manufactured in Scotland by Ailsa, Volvo's British subsidiary in which it owned 75%, from 1974 until 1985.
The B55 was designed with a front-mounted engine that still allowed a front entrance position suitable for one-person operation. In this sense there was a common goal with the earlier, unsuccessful, Guy Wulfrunian. It was fitted with the Volvo TD70 engine, a compact turbocharged unit of 6.7-litres. The rest of the design was relatively simple, with beam axles and leaf springs. A Self-Changing Gears semi-automatic gearbox was used. It first appeared at the 1973 Scottish Motor Show.
The most popular bodywork was the Alexander AV type, replaced by the R type from the earlier 1980s. The Falkirk based Alexander factory thus meant that the Alexander bodied Ailsa B55s were entirely built in Scotland, a significant factor in securing Scottish orders (notably from the Scottish Bus Group, Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive and Tayside Regional Council) especially given the ease in securing locally sourced spare parts and repairs.
A prototype lowheight Ailsa, designated B55-20 (instead of the standard B55-10), was built for Derby Borough Transport in 1975.
In 1977, an improved Mark II version appeared, with two transmission options offered, a Self-Changing Gears pneumocyclic unit and a Voith D851 with retarder. It was followed in 1980 by a Mark III version, for which the Ailsa name was dropped. This continued to use the Volvo TD70H turbocharged engine, and utilised a Volvo truck rear axle in place of the previous troublesome axle. Air suspension was also an available option. In 1981, a 3-axle version was developed to meet the demand for 3-axle buses in Asia.
Following the end of production in 1985, the Ailsa B55 was effectively replaced by the mid-engined Volvo B10M Citybus.
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