Dennis Bus and Coach Books - History and Models

120 Years of Dennis Buses

This book traces the history of Dennis Brothers, founded in the 1890s when John Dennis moved from building bicycles in Devon to producing motor vehicles in Guildford by 1901.
The company first made cars, vans, fire engines and buses. Car production ended in 1913, but the focus on heavier vehicles expanded after the First World War, with sales across Britain and overseas.

Dennis Brothers was taken over by the Hestair Group in 1972 and later passed through several owners. In 2004, a consortium led by Alexander Dennis gained control. With its broad product range, the firm became the largest UK manufacturer of passenger transport vehicles.

Supported by many previously unpublished photographs, this volume records the company's technical and commercial development and offers a clear overview of the long history of Dennis buses.

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Alexander Dennis Buses

Alexander, Dennis and Plaxton are three of the most important names in British bus building. Despite many difficulties, they are now united as Alexander Dennis, the leading bus and coach builder in Britain.

Dennis, with roots in the 19th century, became known as a respected chassis builder. Its successful designs, such as the Dart and Trident, were used across the UK and abroad.
Plaxton has produced coach bodies in Scarborough for over a century, creating well-known models like the Panorama and Elite, and continues to build buses and coaches today.
Alexander began making bodies for its expanding Scottish bus operations, with notable designs such as the Y-type single-decker and the modern Enviro range.

Individually, these companies played major roles in the UK bus industry. Together, they now produce zero-emission buses in Britain and assemble them worldwide. Their single-deck and double-deck models are in daily use across Europe, Asia and North America.

With more than 160 illustrations, this book presents the story of these pioneering firms, showing how they overcame mergers, takeovers and financial crises to form Alexander Dennis, now central to Britain's bus and coach industry.

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Dennis Buses and Other Vehicles

The Dennis company has been building vehicles since 1895, making it the oldest continuously producing British manufacturer. From its origins in a small Guildford shop, the company has grown to become a major bus manufacturer with its products selling around the world.

This book discusses the company's highs and lows, through two world wars, challenging markets and ownership changes. It documents the vehicles produced and their innovative design features, from early cars and street-cleaning machines to vans, buses, trucks, fire engines and ambulances.
First-hand descriptions of how, and why, some of the company's most successful products such as the Dart, Trident and Enviro buses evolved. It explains why their once market-leading fire engines are no longer made.
It also analyses the reasons why some products were less successful and explores what happened to parts of the company that were sold over the years. Finally, the company's future opportunities and challenges are considered.

The author, Andy Goundry, has not only drawn on his own personal experience of almost twenty years of employment with the company but he has drawn on what is left of the company archives, private collections and first-hand accounts, to produce this book as a salutation of over 125 years of continuous manufacturing.

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Dennis Dominator - Including associated models the Domino, Falcon and Arrow

The Dominator was Dennis's first rear-engined double-decker bus chassis. It was launched in 1977. Dennis had been absent from the bus manufacturing market since the last Lolines were produced in 1967. The Dominator was described as bespoke, with numerous options. To some extent it was considered a successor to the Daimler/Leyland Fleetline.

By the time that production ceased in 1996 a total of 1007 of the model had been produced. The single largest customer for the type in the UK was South Yorkshire PTE, which acquired more than 320 (including one configured as a trolleybus for trials). Another significant market for the type was Hong Kong, where from 1979 onwards several batches were delivered. In 1982 a three-axle version - known as the Dennis Dragon - was produced specifically for the Hong Kong market; a number of these have been subsequently imported back to the UK and can now be found in use on sightseeing duties in London and elsewhere.

This volume details the development of the Dominator from its origins in the early 1970s through to the final years of operation. It also includes sections on associated models Domino and Falcon and its successor, the Arrow.

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London's Dart and Dart SLF

Launched in 1988, the Dennis Dart saloon became one of the most successful single-deck buses in the UK. Originally sold to London operators, provincial operators soon saw the success of the model and purchased large numbers. Several different manufacturers produced bodywork for these vehicles.

Going from strength to strength, a low-floor model was constructed in 1995, becoming known as the Dennis Dart SLF. Again, this model was purchased by many operators across the country, with the Plaxton Pointer and Alexander ALX200 body styles being the more popular choice.
Large numbers of both the step-entrance and low-floor machines were taken into stock by London operators, both big and small.

The Dart and Dart SLF became a worthy workhorse of the London bus network for over twenty-five years. David Beddall takes us through the history of this significant model, with a range of previously unpublished images from the nation's capital.

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The London Dennis Dart and Dart SLF

Introduced in 1989 the Dennis Dart became one of the most successful midibuses in the UK. Bodywork was supplied by Carlyle, Wrightbus, Reeve Burgess, Plaxton, Alexander and Wadham Stringer. A large number were taken into stock by London operators, replacing many of the smaller midibuses.
A low-floor version, the Dart SLF, was introduced in 1995, and like the step-entrance Dart this model also became popular with operators around the United Kingdom, as well as Hong Kong.

In 2001 Transbus took over production, only to revert to the Alexander Dennis name in 2005. The last Darts entered service in London during 2007, after which time the Enviro 200 took over.
This book provides a history of this popular London single-decker, from its introduction to its demise.

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The London Dennis Trident

Propelled towards the end of the 1990s by accessibility imperative requiring low floor buses both in London and the rest of Britain, Dennis developed a tri axle Trident double decker for Hong Kong and then adapted the design as a two axle version for Britain.
Orders came thick and fast between 1999, when the first Tridents for London entered service with Stagecoach and 2006, when the Enviro 400, a combination of its unified body builders, replaced it.

In those years over two thousand of the type appeared in London, ordered by Stagecoach, First London, United, Metroline, Metrobus, London General, Blue Triangle, Connex, Armchair, and Hackney Community Transport.
The body work was by Alexander ALX400, Plaxton, (Precedent) and East Lancs, to two available lengths, while badging itself progressed although Trans Bus, until this troubled organisation was suspended in 2004 by todays Alexander Dennis.
Versatile and personable, the Trident in all its forms lasted two decades in London, the last examples being withdrawn from service in 2020.

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