Leyland Motors
Leyland Motors Limited was a British manufacturer of buses used both in the United Kingdom and worldwide.. It gave its name to the British Leyland Motor Corporation formed when it merged with British Motor Holdings, later to become British Leyland after effectively being nationalized. British Leyland later changed its name to simply BL then to Rover Group in 1986.
History
Beginning
Leyland Motors has a long history dating back to 1896, when the Sumner and Spurrier families founded the Lancashire Steam Motor Company in the town of Leyland, Lancashire in North West England. The company's first vehicle was a 1.5-ton-capacity steam powered van. The Lancashire Steam Motor Company was renamed Leyland Motors in 1907 when they took over Coulthards of Preston. They also built a second factory in the neighbouring town of Chorley which still remains today as the headquarters of the LEX leasing and parts company.
British Leyland era
The BLMC group was difficult to manage because of the many companies under its control, often making similar products. This, and other reasons, led to financial difficulties and in December 1974 British Leyland had to receive a guarantee from the British government.
In 1975, after the publication of the Ryder Report, BLMC nationalised as British Leyland (BL) and split into 4 divisions with the bus and truck production becoming the Leyland Truck & Bus division within the Land Rover Leyland Group. The bus operations were divested as a management buy-out to form Leyland Bus, and was subsequently bought by Volvo Buses in 1988, which discontinued most of its product range.
Leyland in Canada
Leyland exported a number of buses to Canada, with Leylands being operated by Brampton Transit, the Calgary Municipal Railway, Edmonton Radial Railway, Kingston City Coach, the Montreal Tramways Company, and the TTC
Products
Articulated
- Leyland-DAB articulated bus (1980-?)
Double deck
- Atlantean (1956-86)
- Fleetline (1973-80) (from Daimler)
- Lion (1985-88)
- Lowlander (1961-66)
- Olympian (1979-93)
- Titan (1927-42 & 1945-70)
- Titan (B15) (1974-84)
- Victory J (1969-?) (Built in India)
- Victory Mk 2 (1978-81) (built in Guy factory at Wolverhampton)
Single deck
- Leyland Tigress (1929-1968, except during WWII)
- B21 (1975-83)
- Comet (1948-71)
- Leopard (1959-82)
- Lion (1960-65)
- Lynx (1984-92)
- National/National 2 (1969-85)
- Olympian (Single Deck) (1953-58)
- Olympic (1949-71)
- Panther (1964-72)
- Panther Cub (1964-68)
- Royal Tiger (1950-55)
- Royal Tiger (B50/B54) (1982-87)
- Royal Tiger Cub (1960-68)
- Royal Tiger Worldmaster (1955-79)
- Swift (1987-91)
- Tiger (Rear engine - 1948-68, Mid engine - 1979-92)
- Tiger Cub (1952-69)
Diesel Engine
- Leyland 0.600 9.8 litre 6-cylinder