Optare Prisma

Optare Prisma
First Manchester Optare Prisma in Eccles in December 2007
Body and chassis
Doors	1 door
Floor type	Step entrance
Powertrain
Engine	Mercedes Benz
Transmission	ZF 4-speed automatic Voith 3-speed automatic
Chronology

The Optare Prisma is a single-decker bus body that was produced for the Mercedes-Benz O405 chassis. 121 vehicles were built, the majority were bought by Tees & District (now Arriva North East); Grampian Regional Transport (now First Aberdeen); Eastern Scottish, (now First Scotland East); Leicester Citybus (now First Leicester); and East Yorkshire Motor Services.

Body

The front end of the body was built by Mercedes-Benz as standard. So the Wright Cityranger, which was the main rival body to the Prisma for the O405 chassis in the UK, is very similar in styling to the Prisma. The sides and back end of the body followed the styling of other Optare products at that time, such as the Delta and Vecta. The Prisma eventually outsold the 22 Wright Cityranger bodies.

Gallery

• Tillingbourne Bus Company R202 YOR.jpg

  Tillingbourne Bus Company Optare Prisma bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 in March 1998

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  First Aberdeen Optare Prisma bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 in 3 May 1999

• First Manchester bus 60425 (M519 RSS), 25 July 2008.jpg

  First Manchester Optare Prisma bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 in Manchester in July 2008