Negotiations concluded between two parties after six months; first chassis well on the way
Ayats and Scania have concluded a deal for Scania to supply chassis for Eclipse double-decker coaches for the UK and Irish markets.
Ayats UK Coach Sales will thus supply the Eclipse on both Scania and MAN chassis and the first Scania chassis will arrive at Ayats’ factory in April.
The completed vehicle will be delivered to JH Coaches of Tyne and Wear by early August.
‘Vital component’
Director Dave Nickson says that completion of Ayats’ deal with Scania represents “a vital component” of his plans to develop the marque here.
“I have done lots of negotiating with Scania and MAN and the latest development is an indication of how importantly the factory regards re-entry of these markets.
“The MAN-based demonstrator is almost complete and it will be arriving here very soon. After that, a demonstrator on Scania chassis will be built and be shown at Coach and Bus UK in October.”
Mr Nickson adds that pricing will be “comparable” regardless of chassis marque and that all will benefit from a two-year chassis warranty that is extended by a further two years for the driveline, and a five-year body warranty.
“We wouldn’t provide these warranties were we not committed to supporting the product,” adds Mr Nickson. In the case of Scania-based Eclipses, the chassis will be backed up by local Scania dealerships.
Operator’s choice words
Scania availability was a prime consideration in JH Coaches’ decision to choose Ayats, says Operations Director Ian Shipley.
“Our Eclipse will seat 89 and it will be PSVAR-compliant. While it will mainly work tours, that makes is suitable for our seasonal express service to Blackpool.
“Ayats is a bespoke manufacturer and each coach can be specified to suit the operator’s requirements. Additionally, the use of stainless steel throughout is a major selling point and suggests that Ayats coaches will record long service lives.”
