Manchester City Transport's new Mancunian

After the 272 rear-engined vehicles. had been delivered to Manchester Corporation Transport Department (latterly Manchester City Transport) their Managing Director, Ralph Bennett, in 1968 placed a further order for 48 Leyland Atlanteans and 48 Daimler Fleetlines to be delivered in the batches 3901-3948 and 4801-4848. All previous deliveries had been bodied by Metro-Cammell, and had that Company's basic design of body. However, Ralph Bennett broke away from the traditional style of rear-engined bus bodies, and produced the Mancunian, with a trail-blazing design, striking appearance and uncompromising approach to modern bus design. A new livery was designed of white and red, and the Fleet Nos. changed to two new batches, 1001 -1048 and 2001-2048. The very first Mancunian, 1001, was the first ever purpose-built, dual door, one-man operated, double deck bus in the United Kingdom, and looked spectacular.

1001, the first Mancunian, and 1024 the second one to be licensed, went on display together on Saturday, 24th. February 1968, in Manchester, and subsequently entered service, (1024 was one of five in the batch 1001-1048 to be delivered in cream and red (along with 1002/1003/1004/1014), but these were soon to be re-painted in white and red).

In total 492 Mancunians were built between 1969 and 1972, as shown below:

The Mancunians:

Nos.	Registrations	Chassis	Body		New	Notes
1001 - 1048	HVM 901 - 948F	Leyland Atlantean PDR1A/1	PRV	H45/28D+23	1968	1 *
1051 - 1097	LNA 151 - 197G	Leyland Atlantean PDR2/1	PRV	H47/29D+24	1969	*
1101 - 1126	NNB 510 - 535H	Leyland Atlantean PDR2/1	PRV	H47/28D+25	1969/70	-
1131 - 1142	NNB 536 - 547H	Leyland Atlantean PDR2/1	ELCB	H47/32F+21	1970	-
1143 - 1154	NNB 548 - 559H	Leyland Atlantean PDR2/1	ELCB	H47/26D+19	1970	-
1161 - 1194	ONF 849 - 882H	Leyland Atlantean PDR2/1	PRV	H47/28D+25	1970	-
1201 - 1220	SRJ 324 - 343H	Leyland Atlantean PDR2/1	MCW	H47/31D+19	1970	2 *
2001 - 2048	HVM 801 - 848F	Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX	PRV	H45/28D+23	1968	1 *
2051 - 2097	LNA 251 - 297G	Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX-33	PRV	H47/28D+19	1969	3 *
2101 - 2144	NNB 560 - 603H	Daimler Fleetline CRG6LXB-33	PRV	H47/28D+21	1969/70	-
2151 - 2161	ONF 883 - 893H	Daimler Fleetline CRG6LXB-33	MCW	H47/30D+19	1970	-
2162 - 2210	PNA 201 - 249J	Daimler Fleetline CRG6LXB-33	MCW	H47/30D+19	1970	-
2211 - 2270	RNA 211 - 270J	Daimler Fleetline CRG6LXB-33	PRV	H47/29D+20	1971	-
2271 - 2304	SVR 271 - 304K	Daimler Fleetline CRG6LXB-33	Roe	H47/29D+20	1971/2	-

Total number of vehicles = 492 (199 Leyland, 293 Daimler).

Notes:    1 = 31ft 6in long (all others 33ft)

              2 = Ordered by Salford City Transport

              3 = 2093-7 type CRG6LXB-33

              * = Low driving position.

1001-1154 and 2001-2144 were delivered in red and white, the rest in SELNEC sunglow orange/off white. The white and red Mancunians had red and black seating and grey melamine inside, whilst those in SELNEC livery had orange and black/yellow and black seating and yellow melamine.

Of these 492 vehicles, it is the case that nine of them have reached the ranks of preservation.

Initially, 1001, which is a Leyland Atlantean, and the first one built, was retained for preservation by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, and was put in the care of the Museum of Transport in Boyle Street. This was shortly followed by 2236, a Daimler Fleetline example, being preserved by The Telford Bus Group. From withdrawal in 1984 until 2008, 2236 had retained its last livery from when in operation with GMT being orange/white/brown. Only nine Mancunians were painted in this later livery, 2236 being one of them. During 2008-2009, Telford Bus Group repainted 2236 into it's original livery of sunglow orange/off white.

2139 has been preserved by a commercial paint company, Hycote Ltd, 1205 was donated to the St Helens Museum by its second hand operator in 1998 but was later passed to the Manchester Museum of Transport, and The SELNEC Preservation Society has preserved five examples.

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