The Ikarus 350 was the long-distance tourist coach of the 300 family and the successor of the Ikarus 250. Introduced in the late 1980s, it sat lower than the Ikarus 386 and 396 and had a longer wheelbase, and it sold well enough in Britain to reach more than a hundred right-hand-drive examples.
Ikarus 350 at a glance
| Maker | Ikarus, Budapest-Mátyásföld and Székesfehérvár |
|---|---|
| Type | long-distance tour coach |
| Introduced | late 1980s |
| Predecessor | Ikarus 250 |
| Body | lower than the 386 and 396, with a longer wheelbase |
| Engine | Rába D 2156 MT6UT, 10,350 cm³, 184 kW (250 hp) |
| Alternative engine | DAF LT 210, 11,630 cm³, 210 kW (286 hp) |
| Gearbox | Csepel S6-90U, six-plus-one manual |
| Doors | second door behind the axle until 1990, then moved forward |
| Right-hand drive | over 100 sold in Britain |
Based on one source: the Hungarian Wikipedia article on the Ikarus 350.
History of the Ikarus 350
The 350 appeared at the end of the 1980s as part of the 300 family, the generation that replaced the 200 series in long-distance service. It was the successor of the Ikarus 250, the coach that had opened the 200 family two decades earlier. In its proportions the 350 was lower than the Ikarus 386 and the Ikarus 396 and had a longer wheelbase, which gave it a different stance from its stablemates.
One detail changed during production. Until 1990 the second door was placed behind the axle, but this caused a good deal of trouble, so from 1990 the rear door was moved in front of the rear axle, as on the 386 and 396. The type is no longer in production.
Two engines were offered. The Rába D 2156 MT6UT is a direct-injection, turbocharged, in-line six-cylinder diesel of 10,350 cm³ producing 184 kW (250 hp) at 2,200 rpm and 883 N·m at 1,600 rpm. The DAF LT 210 is a direct-injection, turbocharged, in-line six-cylinder diesel of 11,630 cm³ producing 210 kW (286 hp) at 2,200 rpm and 1,100 N·m at 1,300 rpm. The gearbox was the Csepel S6-90U, a mechanical six-plus-one unit. A right-hand-drive version was built for the British market, where more than a hundred examples ran with Euro 1 engines.
Design and features
- Long-wheelbase tour coach: lower than the Ikarus 386 and 396.
- Two engine options: the Rába turbo diesel of 250 hp or the DAF LT 210 of 286 hp.
- Six-plus-one gearbox: the Csepel S6-90U manual.
- Right-hand drive: built for Britain, where more than 100 were sold.
Ikarus 350 versions
- Rába-engined buses: the standard specification with the D 2156 MT6UT.
- DAF-engined buses: the more powerful LT 210 option.
- Before 1990: the second door behind the axle.
- From 1990: the rear door moved in front of the rear axle.
- Right-hand drive: the British version with Euro 1 engines.
The 350 replaced the Ikarus 250 in the long-distance range and shared the 300 family with the shorter Ikarus 365. More buses are in the Ikarus collection.
Sources
- Ikarus 350, Hungarian Wikipedia: history, door change, engines, gearbox, British sales
