PROVINCIAL SOCIETY

The Provincial Society

Last Updated : 16 August 2009

H523 CTR - ACE Cougar V with Wadham Stringer B41F

Nov 90	In service with Provincial Bus Company Limited, Hoeford (3)
Jun 91	Fleet number changed to 333
May 95	Fleet number changed to 3
Jul 96	Fleet number changed to 600
Apr 99	Out of service with Provincial Bus Company Limited, Hoeford (600)
Apr 99	In service with First Hampshire Limited, Southampton (600)
Dec 00	Fleet number changed to 800
May 03	Out of service with First Hampshire Limited, Southampton (800)
May 03	In service with First Hampshire & Dorset Limited, Southampton (800)
Nov 03	Out of service with First Hampshire & Dorset Limited (800)
Nov 03	First Hampshire & Dorset Limited, Southampton (800)
Jan 04	Allocated fleet number 62999, but not carried
Sep 04	Provincial Society
Aug 07	Repainted into original People's Provincial livery

Preserved as People's Provincial 3


People's Provincial No 3 at Hoeford January 1991	People's Provincial No 3 at Hoeford January 1991	People's Provincial No 3 at Hoeford January 1991
(C) Bob Gray	(C) Bob Gray	(C) Bob Gray


People's Provincial No 3 at Cosham in March 1991	People's Provincial No 333 at Guildhall Portsmouth in June 1992	People's Provincial No 333 at The Hard, Portsmouth
(C) Malcolm Audsley	(C) Bob Gray	(C) Terry Partridge


People's Provincial No 3 in Stubbington in May 1996	First Provincial No 600 at Fareham Bus Station in April 1997	First No 800 at Gosport Bus Station May 2003
(C) Malcolm Audsley	(C) Malcolm Audsley	(C) Malcolm Audsley


Bishops Waltham in April 2005	Horse & Jockey, Curbridge in September 2007	On its way to the Tilford Rural Life Museum and Bus rally on Bank Holiday Sunday, the Cougar failed near Butser Hill when the oil breather pipe came away from the mounting. It was beyond roadside repair so it was put onto a lowloader and brought back to its base in Fareham.
(C) Gerry Tormey	(C) Gerry Tormey	(C) John Sherwin

People’s Provincial ACE Cougar

• There was a need to replace early Leyland Nationals that were reaching the end of their working lives

• The MD of People’s Provincial, James Freeman, was concerned about the braking system of the then fledgling Dennis Dart, which in any case was a radical change from the existing fleet

• Alternatives were considered such as the Leyland Swift which was loaned to People’s Provincial in January 1989

• People’s Provincial were approached by Alternative Chassis Engineering with their plans for a bus that used components similar to a Leyland National and which were ‘off the shelf’

• People’s Provincial were attracted to the new design as a viable replacement

• The resulting vehicle was the ACE Cougar which was fitted with a Wadham Stringer Portsdown body tailored to People’s Provincial needs

• Having an area of longitudinal seating to increase gangway space, a People’s Provincial innovation, and a narrower body for use on routes where clearances were tight

• The ACE Cougar entered service with People’s Provincial in 1990

• 2.3 mtr wide x 10.5 mtr long

• Perkins Phaser Engine

• Allison Automatic Transmission

• Air Suspension

• More powerful braking system than contemporary chassis’ such as the Dennis Dart

• Used Leyland National Components wherever possible

• Bodied by Wadham Stringer of Waterlooville

• Exhibited at the British Coach rally in April 1991, one of only two Cougar chassis’ ever built

• ACE went out of business in 1991

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