Bus UK Albion Lowlander

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About Bus UK Albion Lowlander

Albion Motors of Scotstoun, Glasgow was a Scottish automobile manufacturer, later it concentrated on building commercial vehicles. Today the company is a subsidiary of American Axle & Manufacturing, and manufactures axles, driveline systems, chassis systems, crankshafts and chassis components. It is Scotland's best known name in the motor industry. Albions were renowned for their superior engineering and reliability; their slogan "Sure as the Sunrise" was known across the globe.


History

Originally known as Albion Motor Car Company Ltd, the company was founded in 1899 by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton (both of whom had previously been involved in Arrol-Johnston) they were joined a couple of years later by John F Henderson who provided additional capital. The factory was originally on the first floor of a building in Finnieston Street, Glasgow and had only seven employees. In 1903 the company moved to new premises in Scotstoun.

The Albion Motor Car Company Ltd was renamed Albion Motors in 1930.

In 1951, Leyland Motors took over. After the British Leyland Motor Corporation was founded in 1968, production continued with the Albion Chieftain, Clydesdale & Reiver trucks and the Albion Viking bus models. Production of these was then moved to the Leyland plant at Bathgate in 1980.

Leyland dropped the Albion name when the company name was changed to Leyland (Glasgow) and later to Leyland-DAF from 1987 when it became a subsidiary of that Dutch concern.

A management buy-out in 1993 brought Albion Automotive as it was thenceforth known back into Scottish ownership. A new owner, the American Axle & Manufacturing Company (AAM) of Detroit, Michigan, took over Albion in 1998.
Bus production

The earliest buses were built on truck chassis with two being delivered to West Bromwich in 1914.

In 1923 the first dedicated bus chassis was announced derived from the one used on the 25 cwt truck but with better springing. Bodies seating from 12 to 23 passengers were available. A lower frame chassis, the Model 26, with 30/60hp engine and wheelbases from 135 inches (3,400 mm) to 192 inches (4,900 mm) joined the range in 1925. All the early vehicles had been normal control, with the engine in front of the driver but in 1927 the first forward control with the engine alongside the driver was announced as the Viking allowing 32 seats to be fitted. Diesel engines, initially from Gardner, were available from 1933. The first double deck design was the Venturer of 1932 with up to 51 seats. The CX version of the chassis was launched in 1937 and on these the engine and gearbox were mounted together rather than joined by a separate drive shaft. Albion's own range of diesel engines was also made available.

After World War 2 the range was progressively modernised and underfloor engined models were introduced with prototypes in 1951 and production models from 1955 with the Nimbus.

With the Leyland take over the range was cut back. The last Albion double decker was the 1961 Lowlander and that was marketed in England as a Leyland, and the last design of all was the Viking, re-using an old name.

Bus models

* Model 24 (1923-1924) First purpose built Albion bus chassis
* Viking 24 (1924-1932) Various wheelbases from 10 feet 9 inches (3.3 m) to 16 feet 3 inches (5.0 m) Front wheel brakes from 1927. Six cylinder engines available in Viking Sixes.
* Valkyrie (1930-1938) Forward control. 5 litre engine, 6.1 litre from 1933, 7.8 litre optional from 1935. Mainly sold as coaches.
* Valiant (1931-1936) Mainly sold to the coach market.
* Victor (1930-1939) Normal or forward control. 20 or 24 seater.
* Venturer (1932-1939) Albions first double decker. 51, later 55 seats. 3 axle version, the Valorous made in 1932, only one produced.
* Valkyrie CX (1937-1950) Engine and gearbox in-unit.
* Venturer CX (1937-1951) Double decker.
* Victor FT (1947-1959) Lightweight single decker
* Valiant CX (1948-1951) Mostly sold to coach operators.
* Viking CX (1948-1952) Mainly sold to the export market.
* Nimbus (1955-1963) Underfloor engine.
* Aberdonian (1957-1960) Underfloor engine.
* Victor VT (1959-1966) Front engined
* Clydesdale (1959-1978) Export model built on truck chassis.
* Lowlander (1961-1966) Double decker. 18 feet 6 inches (5.6 m) wheelbase. LR5 and LR7 had air suspension.
* Viking VK (1963-1983?) Mainly exported. Leyland O.370 engine. VK43 model was rear engined.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia