Bristol RE

The Bristol RE was a rear-engined single-deck bus chassis built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles from 1962 until 1982 [Millar, Alan (1992) "Bus & Coach Recognition" : Ian Allan Ltd., ISBN 0-7110-2060-4] . It is widely considered the most successful of the first generation of rear-engined single-deckers.

Initially, the RE was only supplied to subsidiaries of the nationalised Transport Holding Company, by which Bristol was wholly owned. A few years later, when Leyland purchased a shareholding in Bristol and the company's products became available to other customers, the RE also gained popularity with companies in other sectors, including the BET Group and municipal operators.

From 1972, sales to the National Bus Company (which had taken over the operations of both THC and BET) began to dry up, due to the introduction of the Leyland National. From 1976 the RE remained in production only for the Northern Irish state-owned bus companies Ulsterbus and Citybus, and for export to New Zealand.

In Great Britain, the RE was most commonly fitted with bodywork by ECW, but several other manufacturers also built bodywork on the chassis. Some express coaches were fitted with Plaxton Elite or Alexander M Type bodywork. In Northern Ireland, the RE was bodied by Alexander (Belfast), with the X Type bodywork.

Variants

* RELL - long (36'), low frame (bus)
* RESL - short, low frame (bus)
* RELH - long (36'), high frame (coach or dual-purpose)
* RESH - short, high frame (coach; rare)
* REMH - maximum length (12m), high frame (motorway coach)

These designations were suffixed by a code indicating the type of engine fitted:
* 6G - 6-cylinder Gardner diesel (6HLX)
* 6L - 6-cylinder Leyland diesel (O.680)

References