Optare
Excel:
Excel News
Content copyright of
Shaun C. 2008-11.
Email for more details
or to contribute.
Excel:
Excel News
Content copyright of
Shaun C. 2008-11.
Email for more details
or to contribute.
Malta Bus
FBY805
Delivered brand new to Malta, the only Optare-built Excel (ie not a NABI product) purposely constructed for abroad. In common with other Malta buses, it has a FULLY manual gearbox powering its Cummins engine.
It was new to Cancu Supreme but has since changed owners.
photo copyright of Ray Dobson, 03/06/06, showing FBY805 in its rebuilt state with new windows.
Malta is of course in the news with the end of traditional vehicles operating timetabled services currently scheduled for July 3rd 2011, which will include the only Optare Excel built for export, seen above in Paceville on 9th February 2011. Photo taken by the editor.
This was my second trip to Malta, on the first trip I didn't see the Excel at all - though sightings from a fellow enthusiast on the Malta Bus Yahoo email group confirmed it was operating. Rear view of FBY805.
Probably the only Excel to show off that it is 'powered by Cummins' or to state 'Excel' on the rear. Uniquely for an Excel this vehicle has a fully manual gearbox which doesn't sound at all unusual.
An off-side view of the FBY805 at Valletta taken by Peter Cook on 27th October 2010. As stated on the page about FBY805, it has had its windows fully replaced to these larger examples - about five years ago - to enable a decent air flow in the hot months. The chassis designation of this is a unique L1100 (11 metres) but its original window layout appeared to be the same as the L1070. I'm not sure exactly where on this vehicle it gains an extra 30 centimetres on the 10.7 metre version.
A plaque inside FBY805 states its significance in Maltese bus history as the first low fleer vehicle to enter the country in January 1997.
Optare would have hoped that their Excel exported to Malta would lead to orders for more. 14 years down the line I can't provide an answer as to why it didn't, perhaps the reliability of the very early Excels put them off, though it was documented that Optare only had a small production line back then and at the time had plenty of orders - some of them large in number - to provide vehicles for UK fleets. Development and production of the highly successful Optare Solos would also fill much of their workshop space.
Total - 1
Last checked: April 2011
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Contributions and corrections welcome to slc9t9@yahoo.com (copy and paste email address)
Malta Bus
-
FBY805
Delivered brand new to Malta, the only Optare-built Excel (ie not a NABI product) purposely constructed for abroad. In common with other Malta buses, it has a FULLY manual gearbox powering its Cummins engine.
It was new to Cancu Supreme but has since changed owners.
photo copyright of Ray Dobson, 03/06/06, showing FBY805 in its rebuilt state with new windows.
Malta is of course in the news with the end of traditional vehicles operating timetabled services currently scheduled for July 3rd 2011, which will include the only Optare Excel built for export, seen above in Paceville on 9th February 2011. Photo taken by the editor.
This was my second trip to Malta, on the first trip I didn't see the Excel at all - though sightings from a fellow enthusiast on the Malta Bus Yahoo email group confirmed it was operating. Rear view of FBY805.
Probably the only Excel to show off that it is 'powered by Cummins' or to state 'Excel' on the rear. Uniquely for an Excel this vehicle has a fully manual gearbox which doesn't sound at all unusual.
An off-side view of the FBY805 at Valletta taken by Peter Cook on 27th October 2010. As stated on the page about FBY805, it has had its windows fully replaced to these larger examples - about five years ago - to enable a decent air flow in the hot months. The chassis designation of this is a unique L1100 (11 metres) but its original window layout appeared to be the same as the L1070. I'm not sure exactly where on this vehicle it gains an extra 30 centimetres on the 10.7 metre version.
A plaque inside FBY805 states its significance in Maltese bus history as the first low fleer vehicle to enter the country in January 1997.
Optare would have hoped that their Excel exported to Malta would lead to orders for more. 14 years down the line I can't provide an answer as to why it didn't, perhaps the reliability of the very early Excels put them off, though it was documented that Optare only had a small production line back then and at the time had plenty of orders - some of them large in number - to provide vehicles for UK fleets. Development and production of the highly successful Optare Solos would also fill much of their workshop space.
Total - 1