SELNEC PARK ROYAL BODIED LEYLAND ATLANTEAN STANDARDS 7001 - 7145

After the delivery of the 21 prototype Standards, EX1-EX21, all being Northern Counties bodies, six being single door Atlanteans PDR1A/1 and 15 being Fleetlines, five of which were dual doored, the first batch of production Standards arrived in 1972.

Indeed, 7001, the first production Atlantean arrived in July 1972 and was stored at Hyde Road Garage.

Park Royal had been chosen to deal with the overspill of the Standards, due to the large numbers required and by a quirk of the delivery schedules, it was the Park Royal vehicles that were the first production Standards to arrive, rather than the definitive Northern Counties version, the first five of which were AN68 Atlanteans bodied by Northern Counties, 7146 to 7150, followed by the dual doored Daimler Fleetline Standards commencing with 7206 (VNB 177L) which appeared at the 1972 Commercial Vehicle Motor Show and which is preserved by The SELNEC Preservation Society.

Park Royal were chosen to body 200 vehicles, 145 Atlanteans in the batch 7001-7145 and 55 Fleetlines in the batch 7151-7205, of which The SELNEC Preservation Society has preserved 7185, and of which only three others still exist, 7168, 7180 and 7199.

These vehicles were not built in numerical sequence with the Fleet Nos. but in three batches for the three Divisions built side by side, 7001-7071 Central; 7072-7109 Northern; 7110-7145 Southern.

Indeed the sequence of the first 20 was as follows:

7001, 7002, 7072, 7110, 7073, 7111, 7003, 7004, 7005, 7074, 7075, 7076, 7006, 7007, 7008, 7009, 7112, 7113, 7114, and 7077.

Of the batch of 145 Park Royal bodied Atlanteans, we have been advised that as well as the two in preservation, 7001 at the Museum of Transport and 7143 with The SELNEC Preservation Society, a total of 15 may exist, taking the maximum possible still in existence to 17.

The Museum of Transport's example has a Central Blue Flash and 7143 when restored will have a Southern Green Flash.

From a total delivery of 145 vehicles the following remain:

7001 - Museum of Transport

7008 - Beadles, Newtown

7032 - SELNEC Preservation Society (Open top)

7033 - Highland County Council - Wick (Playbus)

7054 - Withdrawn at Bluebird/Awaiting scrapping

7069 - M Line Coaches, Alloa

7070 - SELNEC Preservation Society (for spare parts)

7072 - Mobile Bar etc. Paddington's Restaurant, 2696 MAN, Isle of Man - Douglas

7076 - Madisons Caravans - Clifton (near Preston)

7077 - SELNEC Preservation Society (Open top)

7081 - West Kent Coach Sales - open top

7082 - Gliding Club, High Wycombe

7103 - Edwards - Pontypridd

7115 - Mobile Exhibition Bus - private owner - Ballamalia, Isle of Man - 2694 MAN

7121 - Mobile Hippy home -Tregaron

7143 - The SELNEC Preservation Society

7144 - Mobile Workshop - Newhaven

 A possible 17 out of 145

[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]