American Thunder from Down Under

[Aussieinuk]

 

In the 1950's Sir Reginald Ansett imported the Flxible Clipper into Australia to operate his interstate bus services operated by Ansett Pioneer Express.He ended up building them in Australia under licence to Flxible. In the 60's along came the PD 4106 and 7 followed by MCI 7, 8 and 9 in the 70's and 80's. Sir Reg also imported the first Kenworth Trucks into Australia in the late 1950's. The Kenworth was so successful that they opened a factory in Bayswater,Victoria.They are still one of the biggest selling trucks in Australia today. Back to the buses. In 1974 Greyhound Australia (no relation to Greyhound US) imported 31 Eagle 05's followed by 10's in 1984.

 

Sadly none of these great buses are around anymore. You may see some as motorhomes. but most have been scrapped. Greyhound Australia took over Ansett Pioneer in 1988. In 1993 all the Eagles and MCI's were sold off and replaced by Australian and European buses.

 

Around that time an MCI 102DL3 was sent to Australia for evaluation. Sadly due to a backward thinking government they would not allow it on Australian roads because of it's width. That was the end of the American bus in Australia. Aussie built long distance buses were generally powered with US running gear, GM engines,Spicer, Fuller and Allison transmissions, and Rockwell ax

 

Now the Europeans dominate the market.As much as I like the Euro coaches they will never have that rugged appeal of their American counterparts