File:1971 Daimler Fleetline CR G6LXB-Park Royal 'Mancunian'.jpg

English: 1971 Daimler Fleetline CR (Commercial, Rear-engined) chassis with Park Royal ‘Mancunian’ 2-door body and Gardner 6LXB 10.45 litre 6-cylinder diesel engine at the Bristol Bus Show, Brislington, 28 July 2024. Registration No.RNA236J, Greater Manchester Transport (Fleet No.2236), withdrawn 1984 for preservation.

The Daimler Fleetline (Leyland Fleetline from 1975) was the second rear-engined double decker bus chassis to be introduced in the UK in 1960 after the Leyland Atlantean in 1958 and had several features which were an improvement on the Leyland product, although both tended to suffer similar transmission and engine overheating problems, leading to poor reliability. Eight XF (Experimental Fleetline) prototypes were built and served with London Country Buses.

The Fleetline was produced in Daimler’s Coventry factory 1960-73; then its parent company, Leyland, switched production to its own factory at Farington. It remained badged as a Daimler until 1975 when it was rebranded Leyland. It remained in production until 1983.

It could be fitted with a variety of engines – the Daimler CD6 8.6 litre (prototypes only), Gardner 6LW 8.4 litre, Gardner 6LX and 6LXB 10.45 litre, Leyland O.680 11.1 litre and O.690 turbo 11.1 litre or Cummins V6 200 9.8 litre. Several one-off engines were also fitted for trials purposes.

The Fleetline was mainly produced in three lengths – 30’, 33’ or 36’ and could have one or two doors. However, some were produced with non-standard lengths to meet the specific needs of particular companies. Most double deckers were produced with Park Royal or Metropolitan Cammell Weymann (MCW) bodies, but Northern Counties, East Lancs and Roe also produced significant numbers. There was a single decker version of the Fleetline built in relatively modest numbers with Park Royal, MCW, Marshall, Willowbrook or Alexander bodywork.

One significant variation of the body (built by Park Royal, MCW, East Lancs, and Roe) was produced to meet Manchester Corporation’s needs, as drawn up by their Ralph Bennet who had the vision for a standard ‘Mancunian’ bus specifically designed for One Man Operation (OMO). As such, the 33’ (some 30’) Fleetline/Mancunian combination was the first bus designed for OMO. 472 Mancunians for Manchester Corporation were built in 1969-72, 424 on Fleetline chassis (plus 20 for Salford City Transport) and 48 on Leyland Atlantean chassis.

London Transport received the 8 prototypes for evaluation in 1965 for evaluation against the Leyland Atlantean and chose the former - receiving 2,646 in 1970-78, especially modified for London use. However, they were never as popular as the Routemasters they were intended to replace, either with LT staff or passengers. Moreover, maintenance was a major issue and combined with a government scheme for new buses, this resulted in the early withdrawal of LT’s Fleetlines starting only a year after the last was delivered to LT!

Many were sold second-hand at knock-down prices to provincial operators, who removed the features LT had specified and undertook modifications to improve reliability. Some were even exported to Hong Kong and the USA. However, many Fleetlines were simply scrapped – some after less than 10 years’ service.

Another big operator was the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive and it predecessors who had over 2,000 at its peak. The last was withdrawn from WMPTE service in 1997 so they were clearly more highly thought of here than in London.