Dennis Dart SLF

Dennis Dart/Dart SLF
Arriva Medway Towns c. 1996 Plaxton Pointer I bodied Dennis Dart SLF at Chatham Waterfront Bus Station in May 2013
Arriva North West & Wales Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart Dennis Dart SLF interior
Overview
Manufacturer	Dennis/TransBus/Alexander Dennis
Production	1989–2007
Body and chassis
Doors	1 or 2 doors
Floor type	Step entrance Low floor
Powertrain
Engine	Cummins B Series Cummins ISBe
Transmission	Allison Eaton Voith
Dimensions
Length	Dart: 8.5m, 9.0m, 9.8m Dart SLF: 8.8m, 9.2m, 9.3m, 10.0m, 10.1m, 10.6m, 10.7m, 11.3m
Width	2.4m or 2.5m
Chronology
Successor	Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart

The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined single-decker bus chassis that was manufactured by Dennis (later Alexander Dennis) in Guildford, England. More than 11,000 were produced during 18 years of production.

Most were purchased by United Kingdom operators, although examples were sold to the North America, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Dennis Dart was conceived when Hestair Group (owner of Dennis and Duple) decided to produce a bus between a minibus and a full-sized single-decker.

It was launched in 1988 and was originally offered with the Duple Dartline bodywork. It was 2.3m wide and was initially available in the length of 9m, but later available in lengths of 8.5m and 9.8m. It was powered by a Cummins 6BT engine and coupled to the Allison AT545 gearbox (the same engine and gearbox were also used in the MCW Metrorider, latterly the Optare MetroRider).

This model was sold to London Buses and to some operators outside London. Soon after it was launched, Duple was sold to Plaxton and the Blackpool plant closed. Plaxton decided not to acquire the design rights of the Duple Dartline and it was sold to Carlyle Works, who continued producing the bodywork from 1991. Production passed to Marshall of Cambridge in 1992 who bodied five Darts to this design. In 1993, Marshall updated the design to the C36 and later, the C37.