The mid-engined Swift was the first new model introduced by Leyland Bus following its management buyout from the Rover Group in 1987. It replaced the front-engined Cub, which was a development of the Terrier truck. The Swift was built in 7.3m and 8.5m lengths and like Leyland's Roadrunner truck was powered by a Cummins 6BT engine coupled to either a Turner synchromesh or Allison automatic transmission. Swifts were bodied in the UK by East Lancs, Plaxton, PMT, Reeve Burgess, GC Smith, Wadham Stringer and Wright and as well as these over 30 were bodied by Elme, a Portuguese bodybuilder based in the town of Setubal, a short distance south of Lisbon. Readers of a certain age may recall seeing and photographing many of these vehicles, apart perhaps from the East Lancs version, as there was just one, F807 SFV, a 39-seater new in 1988 as a non-PSV to the Lancashire Constabulary. It was based at the constabulary's headquarters in Hutton, near Preston, where in July 1990 I was allowed to photograph the vehicle.
展开▼
