London sightseeing operator Golden Tours has taken delivery of the first two of six new MCV-bodied Volvo B9TL open top buses scheduled for delivery early this year.
“We wanted the reliability of the proven Volvo B9TL chassis, but with an open top body,” explained Golden Tours MD Nick Palan. “Volvo Bus and Regional Sales Manager, Phil Fletcher were really good. They delivered to our exacting requirements and the first vehicle is already in operation.
“This is the first time we have used the open top Volvo Bus MCV combination and we’re delighted with the results. We look forward to receiving the rest of our new vehicles in due course and getting them on the road. I’m sure our customers will love them.”
Volvo’s low floor 10.3-metre B9TL is specified with a rigid low beam front axle. The bus is powered by a rear mounted Volvo D9B engine and is fitted with the ZF Ecolife gearbox. The chassis were supplied from Volvo’s plant in Borås, Sweden and bodied at the MCV plant in Egypt, before being shipped to the UK.
“This is a really exciting delivery for us,” explained Phil Fletcher. “It demonstrates the extended body options Volvo now has available, thanks to our partnership with MCV. Golden Tours is a valued Volvo customer and the operator adds these six new open top variants to the three closed top MCV-bodied double decks delivered earlier in the year and the B9TL Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini acquired last year.
“The operation of these new tour buses in London allows us to get some great exposure for our open top Volvo product. We look forward to concluding the delivery of the remaining buses and continuing our relationship with Golden Tours in the future.”
