The DAF SB220 was a chassis for full-size single-decker buses, produced by DAF Bus International from 1985. It was built first only in left-hand drive, and in 1988 a right-hand drive version was launched for the British market. An articulated version was made as well.
DAF SB220 at a glance
| Maker | DAF Bus International |
|---|---|
| Produced from | 1985 |
| Right-hand drive | from 1988, for the United Kingdom |
| Type | full-size single-decker bus chassis |
| Layout | engine at the rear |
| Versions | step entrance, low floor, low entry |
| Bodywork | Optare Delta, Alexander ALX300, Berkhof, Den Oudsten, Castrosua and others |
| Articulated | also built |
| Superseded by | DAF/VDL SB200 and SB250 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the DAF SB220.
History of the DAF SB220
A chassis for many bodybuilders
The SB220 was a bare chassis, and the bus itself was completed by a bodybuilder. That was how DAF Bus International worked: the Eindhoven factory supplied the mechanical parts and the makers of the body decided the appearance. Because the same chassis could take bodies from many countries, the SB220 appeared in very different forms, from the Optare Delta and the Alexander ALX300 in Britain to the Berkhof ST2000NL and the Den Oudsten B88 and B89 Alliance in the Netherlands, the Castrosua CS 40 City and Hispano Carrocera VOV in Spain, and several bodies built in Romania for Bucharest.
Left-hand drive, then right-hand drive
From 1985 the SB220 was built only in left-hand drive. In 1988 DAF added a right-hand drive version for the United Kingdom, where the chassis became a common basis for city and interurban buses. British operators bought it with step-entrance bodies from Northern Counties, Ikarus and Optare and with low-floor or low-entry bodies such as the Alexander ALX300, the East Lancs Myllennium, the Ikarus Polaris and 481, and the Plaxton Prestige. In Ireland it appeared with Alexander Setanta and Plaxton Verde bodies.
Engines and the end of the line
The buses used a DAF LT 160L engine of 11,627 cc, built to the Euro I standard, with a ZF Ecomat 4HP 500 four-speed automatic in the Hispano Carrocera versions and a Voith DIWA 851.2 in the earlier Alexander Setanta-bodied buses. An articulated SB220 was also manufactured. The model was superseded by the DAF/VDL SB200 and SB250, which continued the line of rear-engined city bus chassis.
Design and features
- Bare chassis: the body came from a long list of coachbuilders in many countries.
- Right-hand drive from 1988: a version made specifically for the United Kingdom.
- Three floor heights: step entrance, low entry and low floor.
- Articulated version: an 18-metre style bendy bus was offered too.
- DAF LT 160L: an 11.6-litre engine built to Euro I.
DAF SB220 versions
- Step entrance: the original layout, with bodies such as the Optare Delta.
- Low entry: a partly lowered floor for easier boarding.
- Low floor: the fully accessible version, with the Alexander ALX300 and others.
- Articulated SB220: the bendy-bus version.
The SB220 followed the DAF MB200 and replaced it together with the MB230, and the truck side of DAF is covered by the DAF 95. More models are in the DAF collection.
Sources
- DAF SB220, English Wikipedia: production, versions, bodywork, engines
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