Details of Cars

Irizar PB: the coach body of 2001–2015

IRIZAR

Irizar PB coach, side view
An Irizar PB, side view, at Chambéry. Photo by Anthony Levrot, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Irizar PB was a coach body manufactured by the Irizar Group from 2001 to 2015. It was built on chassis from MAN, Scania, Iveco, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, and the version on a Scania chassis was named European Coach of the Year 2004.

Irizar PB at a glance

Irizar PB key facts
Maker Irizar Group, Ormáiztegui (Gipuzkoa), Spain
Production 2001–2015
Type coach body on bought-in chassis
Design Arup Design Research, United Kingdom
Chassis makes MAN, Scania, Iveco, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen
Body combinations 13, each suited to a particular chassis
Length 12 m to 15 m for tri-axle variants
Height 3.5 m and 3.7 m
Award European Coach of the Year 2004 (Scania chassis)
Replaced by Irizar i8 and Irizar i6

The available sources give the PB only a short article, so this page is short and concentrates on the body range and chassis rather than on interior details.

History of the Irizar PB

A body designed in Britain

Irizar PB coach, rear view
The rear of an Irizar PB. Photo by Anthony Levrot, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The PB was introduced in 2001 as a body that Irizar could fit to a wide range of chassis rather than tying it to one maker. Its styling, and the features that came with it, were the work of Arup Design Research in the United Kingdom. The same approach as with the earlier Century made the PB available to operators who bought their running gear from different manufacturers, and the body was offered in thirteen different combinations, each suited to a particular chassis.

Coach of the Year 2004

The PB with a Scania chassis was named European Coach of the Year in 2004. By then the body was established across Europe, and it stayed in the catalogue for more than a decade. It was eventually replaced by the Irizar i8 and the Irizar i6, the two models that took over the upper part of the range.

One body, many chassis

Because the PB was a body rather than a complete vehicle, the same outline appeared on very different mechanical layouts. Bodies were built on MAN 18.xxx HOCL and 24.xxx HOCLN, Scania K114EB, K124EB and K114IB, Iveco EuroRider 397E, Volvo B12, B12B, B13R and B11R, on the Mercedes-Benz OC 500 RF in Spain and the O 500 series in Brazil, and on the Volkswagen 18.330 OT in Latin America.

Design and features

  • Coach body, not a complete bus: fitted to chassis from six makers.
  • British design: styled by Arup Design Research.
  • Award-winning version: European Coach of the Year 2004 with a Scania chassis.
  • Long body range: 12 m two-axle coaches up to 15 m tri-axle variants.
  • Two heights: 3.5 m and 3.7 m bodies.
Irizar PB coach of IberoCoach
An Irizar PB of IberoCoach. Photo by Anthony Levrot, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Irizar PB versions

  • 12 m two-axle coaches: the shorter PB bodies.
  • 15 m tri-axle variants: the longest bodies in the range.
  • Scania-chassis PB: the combination named European Coach of the Year 2004.

The PB followed the Irizar Century in the coach range and was replaced by the i6 and i8. More coaches are in the Irizar collection.

Video: Scania Irizar Pb

Video on YouTube.

Sources

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