ACE Cougar
| ACE Cougar | |
|---|---|
 The Wadham Stringer bodied ACE Cougar in People's Provincial livery in June 1991 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Alternative Chassis Engineering |
| Production | 1990 |
| Assembly | Huddersfield |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 |
| Floor type | Step entrance |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Perkins |
| Transmission | Allison |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 10.5 metres |
| Width | 2.3 metres |
The ACE Cougar was a type of midibus built by Alternative Chassis Engineering (ACE) in England in the early 1990s. It did not prove successful and only two were built.
Details
[edit]The ACE Cougar was designed to use Leyland National components wherever this was possible. The chassis was powered by a 6-cylinder rear in-line mounted Perkins Phaser turbo engine coupled to an Allison automatic transmission and air suspension.[1] Both models built were 10.5m long and 2.3m wide.[2]
Production and operations
[edit]
The Cougar was built in ACE's factory in Huddersfield being launched in October 1990.[3] The first Cougar was bodied by Wadham Stringer and sold to People's Provincial in 1990.[4][5] Provincial director James Freeman saw the vehicle as a possible replacement for the company's large fleet of Leyland Nationals, but in the event only one was delivered.[1] It was the only full-size bus bought new by Provincial as an independent company following privatisation in 1987.[6] Provincial was taken over by First Hampshire & Dorset in 1995, the Cougar remaining in service until 2004. It has been preserved.[1][7]
The second carried Willowbrook Warrior bodywork (a body rarely applied to new vehicles). It was completed in 1991 and was initially painted in a demonstrator livery, but was sold to West Midlands independent Caves Bus Services later in the year. Caves closed down in June 1999 and the Cougar was sold to a private owner on Valentia Island.[8][9]
Intended developments
[edit]Both Cougars built were technically described as ACE Cougar V models.[2] This was to differentiate them from the Cougar VI, a 12m variant which Alternative Chassis Engineering intended to build for sale to London Regional Transport.[10] The company also intended to create 30 manufacturing jobs producing the vehicles.[2] However, ACE went out of business in late 1991,[1] having produced no further vehicles of any sort.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Provincial Society - Survivors Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c "Cougar ready to go". Buses (433): 151. April 1991.
- ^ Booth, Gavin (Autumn 1994). "Bus Scene: Single-dekers". Buses Focus: 24.
- ^ ACE launches Cougar Commercial Motor 1 November 1990
- ^ a b ACE Lists on the Web
- ^ Brown, Stewart J (November 1995). Buses in Britain 2: The Mid Nineties. Capital Transport. p. 175. ISBN 1-85414-181-3.
- ^ Preserved Provincial Buses - Gosport and Fareham Omnibus Company (Provincial)
- ^ Caves Bus Services reddibus.co.uk
- ^ "Caves' Cougar". Buses (585). December 2003.
- ^ "Expocoach". Buses (430): 19. January 1991.