Plaxton Paramount

The Plaxton Paramount was a body of a coach. It had a step-entrance. It was made from 1982 to 1992 by Plaxton.

Plaxton Paramount
Plaxton Paramount II 4000 and 3500 coaches
Overview
Manufacturer	Plaxton
Body and chassis
Doors	1 door
Floor type	Step entrance
Chassis	Paramount 3200 and 3500 ACE Puma Bedford VAS Bedford Y series DAF MB200 & MB230 DAF SB2005 DAF SB2300 & SB2305 DAF SB3000 Dennis Dorchester Dennis Javelin Ford R-Series Leyland Leopard Leyland Royal Tiger Leyland Tiger Mercedes-Benz O303 Quest 80 VM Scania K92, K93, K112 & K113 Volvo B10M Volvo B58 Ward Dalesman Paramount 4000 Auwärter (Neoplan) N722 DAF SBR3000 Scania K112T & K113T Volvo B10MT

In 1986, the Paramount replaced the Supreme V and Viewmaster IV.

In 1991, the Paramount was replaced by the Premiere and Excalibur.^[1]

Models

Paramount I

Paramount 3200 I on DAF MB200 chassis

From 1982 to 1983, Plaxton made a body of a coach called the Paramount I.

Plaxton made different heights of the Paramount; the names and heights were:

• Paramount 3200 - 3.2 metres (10 ft)^[2][3]
• Paramount 3500 - 3.5 metres (11 ft)^[2][3]

Paramount 4000 double-decker

In 1984, Plaxton and Ogle Design made a double-decker body of a coach called the Paramount 4000.

In 1984, the first prototype model was sent to Excelsior European Motorways of Bournemouth.^[4] It was built on the Neoplan N722/3 chassis.^[4]

The Paramount 4000 body was later built on the Volvo B10M Tandem chassis,^[5][6][7] the DAF SBR3000 chassis^[8] and the Scania K112TR chassis.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Paramount II

Paramount 3500 II on Volvo B10M chassis

From 1984 to 1985, Plaxton made an improved body of a coach called the Paramount II.

The improvements were:

• The black full width grille above the headlights was removed
• The small grille between the headlights and the trim around the headlights was changed from black to silver.
• The chrome strip below the side windows went from the first window to the last window (the Paramount I chrome strip had a gap).
• The air conditioning was improved and the interior was improved.

Plaxton made different heights of the Paramounts; the names and heights were:

• Paramount 3200 - 3.2 metres (10 ft)^[13]
• Paramount 3500 - 3.5 metres (11 ft)^[13]

Paramount III

Paramount 3200 III on Volvo B10M chassis

From 1986 to 1992, Plaxton made an improved body of a coach called the Paramount III.

The improvements were:

• A new grille and front bumper,
• A new windscreen,
• A rear window was added in the middle of the bus,
• The interior was improved.

Plaxton made different heights of the Paramounts; the names and heights were:

• Paramount 3200 - 3.2 metres (10 ft)
• Paramount 3500 - 3.5 metres (11 ft)

Expressliner

Volvo B10M Plaxton Paramount Expressliner

From 1989 to 1992, Plaxton made a body of a coach called the Expressliner.^[14][15][16] It was made for National Express.^[17][16]

The Expressliner body was built on the Volvo B10M chassis.^[14][15][16]

The rear of the coach had the National Express logo moulded on, it didn't have a back window and it had rectangular lights above the brake lights.

Mini Paramount

In 1988, Plaxton made a body of a bus called the Mini Paramount.^[18]

The Mini Paramount body was built on the Mercedes-Benz 811D van chassis.^[18]

Only one Mini Paramount was built because Plaxton wanted to sell more of its Beaver minibus body.

Chassis

The Paramount body was built on the following chassis:

Mini Paramount

• Mercedes-Benz 811D^[18]

Paramount 3200

• Volvo B10M^[19]
• Leyland Tiger^[20]
• Bedford Y series^[21]
• DAF MB200^[22] and MB230^[23]
• Dennis Javelin^[24]
• DAF SB2005, SB2300 and SB2305
• Scania K series^[25]
• Ford R-Series
• Leyland Royal Tiger
• Leyland Leopard^[26]
• Dennis Dorchester^[27]
• DAF SB3000^[8]
• Mercedes-Benz O303
• Quest 80 VM^[28]
• Volvo B58^[29]
• Bedford VAS5
• Ward Dalesman^[30]
• ACE Puma IV
• ACE Puma III

Paramount 3500

• Volvo B10M^[31]
• Leyland Tiger^[32]
• Bedford Y series
• DAF MB200 and MB230^[33]
• Dennis Javelin
• DAF SB2005, SB2300 and SB2305
• Scania K series^[34][35]
• Ford R-Series
• Leyland Royal Tiger^[36]
• Leyland Leopard
• Dennis Dorchester^[37]
• DAF SB3000^[38]
• Mercedes-Benz O303
• Quest 80 VM
• Volvo B58
• Bedford VAS5
• Ward Dalesman
• ACE Puma IV
• ACE Puma III

Paramount 4000

• Auwärter (Neoplan) N722/3^[39][40]
• DAF SBR3000
• Volvo B10MT^[5][6][7]
• Scania K series^[11][12]

Gallery

• 
  Paramount 3200 I on short-wheelbase Bedford YMP chassis
• 
  Paramount 3200 I Express on Leyland Tiger chassis, showing the wider two-piece Express door. This coach also has non-standard sliding-ventilator windows.
• 
  Paramount 3200 I on Quest 80 VM chassis. This vehicle has a low driving position and non-standard window spacing which omits the small feature window.
• 
  Paramount 3500 I on Leyland Tiger chassis
• 
  Paramount 3200 II on Volvo B10M chassis. The minor revisions to the grille distinguished the mk.II from the mk.I, although some mk.IIs (mainly front-engined Fords) retained the original style.
• 
  Paramount 3200 II LS on Volvo B10M chassis.
• 
  Paramount 3500 II on Mercedes-Benz O303 chassis. This one-off body used a Mercedes-Benz front, whereas subsequent O303 Paramount III bodies had standard Plaxton fronts.
• 
  Paramount 4000 II on Neoplan N722/3 chassis
• 
  Paramount 4000 II RS on a Volvo B10MT. The rear-saloon version of the Paramount 4000 was for mid-engined chassis.
• 
  Paramount 3200 III LS on Dennis Javelin chassis
• 
  Paramount 3500 III on Volvo B10M chassis