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Buses Magazine - January 2023 Issue

The ubiquitous Dennis Dart seems to have been around forever, and indeed it was first introduced 33 years ago in 1989. It has been one of the most successful types of bus produced in the UK. Devised originally as a midibus to meet the needs of operators hoping to replace and upgrade the remains of their minibus fleets which were coming to the end of their short lives, the chassis grew in size over the years.

It was originally bodied by Duple, then Carlyle, with the first Wrightbus body appearing in 1991. This year also saw the first Pointer body, first from Reeve Burgess and then from Plaxton, becoming the most popular variant. The first SLF appeared in 1995, entering London service the following year. MAN and Volvo both produced competing chassis, but neither were as successful as the Dart.

This book follows the fortunes of the chassis in London service, with well illustrated chapters on each operator. In the days of all over red and a few large operators, it is easy to forget the variety of types and liveries carried in earlier days, with numerous long forgotten operators included. The last true Dart entered London service in 2007, replaced by the integral Enviro Dart, thus bringing to an end to the variety beforehand.

This is a good quality book with an engaging and detailed narrative which brings back memories of less homogenous times. The Dart has an important part in London bus history, and this captures its’ time well.

PSV Circle (Buses) - News Sheet No. 994, November 2022