Manufacturer Volvo Assembly Sweden Floor type Step entrance | Production 1966-1982 Class Bus chassis | |
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Engine 6.7-litre front-mounted I-6
Volvo D70, TD70 | ||
Volvo B57 was a front-engined single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1966 and 1982. Since 1970 it was also available as the Volvo BB57, with the engine mounted on top of the front axle, giving the buses very little front overhang. The BB57 became a kind of replacement for the smaller B54, but as it was larger, the B54 got its true replacement later. The predecessor to BB57, the B615 had gone out of production in 1965, but apparently the demand for such a model was so high that they had to bring it back almost half a decade later, as the B54 proved to be too small.
Both B57 and BB57 could be built in three different wheelbase lengths: 5 metres (B57-50), 5.5 metres (B57-55) and 6 metres (B57-60).
This chassis type was rare in the United Kingdom, but was quite popular in rural parts of the Nordic countries.
Singapore Bus Services introduced a fleet of New Zealand Motor Body bodied B57s in the early 1980s. Upon their retirement, all 300 were bought by Bus Éireann of Ireland between 1994 and 1998 for use on school bus duties in rural areas until their withdrawal in 2004. Some of these have been preserved by various Irish transport enthusiasts.
In Pakistan, the Punjab Urban Transport Corporation placed 300 in service in Lahore.
In Australia, four B57s were purchased by Neville's Bus Service while another was purchased by Cairnstrans.