The Jelcz 080 was a Polish suburban and intercity bus built by the Jelczańskie Zakłady Samochodowe. It mated the modified city body of the Jelcz PR110 to the chassis of the Star 200 light truck, and it was produced from 1978 to 1984.
Jelcz 080 at a glance
| Maker | Jelczańskie Zakłady Samochodowe, Jelcz |
|---|---|
| Type | suburban and intercity bus |
| First bus built | September 1978 |
| Production | 1978-1984 |
| Chassis | Star 200 A |
| Body | modified Jelcz PR110 body |
| Doors | two single doors, 0-1-1 layout |
| Engine | S359, 6.842 l, 150 hp |
| Later engine | 6C107/A7, 6.54 l, 138 hp |
| Gearbox | ZF S5-45 or AK5-45, five-speed |
| Built | 1,051 |
This page is based on a single source, the Polish Wikipedia article on the Jelcz 080.
History of the Jelcz 080
The idea behind the 080 came from the gap between the largest buses and the smallest. In 1970-1972 Warsaw tested a group of imported city buses, among them the Ikarus 242, Magirus-Deutz M170-S11H, Berliet PR100, Fiat 420A, Leyland Lidrt 12/4 Worldmaster, Pegaso 5023, Hino RC620 and Karosa SM11; the Berliet PR100 won and became the 12-metre Jelcz PR110 with three pairs of doors. At the same time neither Jelcz nor Autosan built a small bus for lightly used suburban, night and school services, and the workshop conversions of Star trucks were the only alternative. Design work on a new bus started in 1974 and a running prototype was built at the Jelcz prototype shop in 1977. The management, focused on heavy trucks and city buses, was not enthusiastic, but the prototype shown at a POLMOT exhibition attracted attention and was liked by Edward Gierek, the first secretary of the PZPR, and the production decision was taken at the party conference in 1978.
The first Jelcz 080 left the assembly line in September 1978, and by May 1979 more than 400 had been built. On 1 June 1979 a single school version with special seats for children and a 0-1-0 door layout was handed over. A tourist version with aircraft-style seats followed in 1980. Production ended in 1984 with 1,051 buses built.
The 080 was used mainly by enterprises that had to move large numbers of workers over short distances, and by schools. Many were converted into campers and utility vehicles, and individual examples stayed in city service in medium-sized towns into the first decade of the 21st century; the PKS state road transport operator preferred Autosan products and showed little interest. The chassis came from the Star 200 and was designated Star 200 A. Early buses used the 6.842-litre S359 diesel of 150 hp from Starachowice, later ones the 6.54-litre 6C107/A7 of 138 hp from WSW PZL Andrychów, also used in the Autosan H9. Drive passed through a 353 mm single dry clutch with hydraulic assistance and a five-speed ZF S5-45 or AK5-45 gearbox to a rear axle with a 5.43 Gleason final drive, and the bus could tow a Jelcz P080 trailer. Steering was a ZF 8060 ball-and-nut unit with integral hydraulic assistance, suspension was by semi-elliptic leaf springs on both axles, and the body was the modified PR110 shell with a rectangular-profile frame and two manually operated single doors.
Design and features
- Mixed construction: the PR110 city body on a Star 200 A truck chassis.
- Two engines: the 150 hp S359 and, later, the 138 hp 6C107/A7 also used in the Autosan H9.
- Simple equipment: two single doors in a 0-1-1 layout and a 5.43 rear axle, with a towing capacity for the P080 trailer.
- Special versions: a one-off school bus of 1979 and a tourist version of 1980.
Jelcz 080 versions
- Jelcz 080: the standard suburban and intercity bus.
- School version: one example of 1979 with seats for children and a 0-1-0 door layout.
- Tourist version: presented in 1980 with aircraft-style seats.
The 080 used the body of the Jelcz PR110 and the chassis technology of the Star trucks; its closest city relative was the Jelcz M11. More buses are in the Jelcz collection.
Video: Jelcz 080 rusza w podróż do nowego domu.
Video by cyntus1 on YouTube.
Sources
- Jelcz 080, Polish Wikipedia: origins, production, construction, engines and versions
