The Isuzu Super Cruiser is a heavy-duty coach built by Isuzu. The range was primarily a tourist coach and was in practice not available with left-hand drive. It stood at the top of an Isuzu coach line that reached back to the late 1950s.
Isuzu Super Cruiser at a glance
| Maker | Isuzu Motors, Japan |
|---|---|
| Class | heavy-duty tourist coach |
| Steering | right-hand drive in practice |
| Early models | P-LV719 (1986), U-LV771 (1990), KC-LV781 (1995) |
| Body types | HD high-decker 12 m and 11.3 m, SHD super high-decker 12 m, UFC 12 m |
| Predecessor line | BH162 (1959) to P-LV219 (1984) |
based on one source (English Wikipedia); the article there is short, so this page is shorter than usual.
History of the Isuzu Super Cruiser
Isuzu’s coach line
The Super Cruiser continued a series of Isuzu tourist coaches that began with the BH162 of 1959 and ran through the BU20PA of 1962, the BU30P of 1963, the BH20/50P of 1969, the BH21P of 1973, the CRA of 1975, the K-CRA/CSA of 1980 and the P-LV219 of 1984. Those coaches established Isuzu as a maker of long-distance tourist vehicles for the Japanese market.
Super Cruiser models
The Super Cruiser itself was sold as the P-LV719 from 1986, the U-LV771 from 1990 and the KC-LV781 from 1995. The range was offered as an HD high-decker in 12 m and 11.3 m lengths, an SHD super high-decker of 12 m and a UFC model with an under-floor cockpit, also 12 m. The under-floor cockpit layout put the driver lower and forward of the passenger floor, a common arrangement for Japanese coaches of the period.
Place in the range
The Super Cruiser was the coach counterpart of Isuzu’s city buses: where the Cubic and later the Erga were built for stops and standing passengers, the Super Cruiser was aimed at tourist work and long-distance routes, with a high floor and luggage space below.
Design and features
- Tourist coach: built for long-distance and holiday work rather than city routes.
- Three body types: HD, SHD and UFC layouts, all around 12 metres.
- Right-hand drive: in practice never sold with left-hand drive.
Isuzu Super Cruiser versions
- HD (high-decker): 12 m and 11.3 m bodies.
- SHD (super high-decker): 12 m.
- UFC (under-floor cockpit): 12 m.
Isuzu’s city buses are the Cubic and Erga, and the smaller intercity bus is the Turquoise. More vehicles are in the Isuzu collection.
Sources
- Isuzu Super Cruiser, English Wikipedia: models, body types, predecessors
