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The Duple Caribbean was design of a coach bodywork built by Duple between 1983 and 1986. It replaced the high-floor Goldliner variant of the long-running Duple Dominant range as Duple’s premium coach body of the mid 1980s.

Variants

The original Caribbean was introduced in 1983 as Duple’s upmarket / high-floor coach and was available on 12 metre long mid-engined DAF, Dennis, Leyland and Volvo chassis. At the time Duple was attempting to develop its own integral coach designs and a one-off rear-engined semi-integral Caribbean was built on Neoplan running gear as a prototype.[1] The design bonded glazing which distinguished it from the contemporary low-floor Duple Laser (early examples of which had gasket glazing). Quad headlights and a narrow chrome grille were standard, although twin headlights and a wider grille (as used on the Duple Calypso) could be specified as an option. The bonded-glazed Calypso was similar in appearance to the Caribbean, but was closer in height to the Laser.[2]

At the end of 1984 the Caribbean range was given a facelift and renamed the Caribbean II. The main difference was a revised front with twin headlamps and plastic grille, shared with the contemporary Laser 2 (which gained bonded glazing at this time, becoming closer in appearance to the Caribbean II).[3]

Replacement

At the end of 1985 the new Duple 320 and 340 were launched as replacements for the Laser and Caribbean ranges respectively.[4] The remaining stock of Caribbean coaches entered service during 1986.

See also

References

  • Miller, Alan (1992). Bus and Coach Recognition; 3rd Edition. Ian Allan Publishing.
  • Townsin, Alan (1998). Duple: 70 Years of Coachbuilding. Venture Publications Ltd. pp. 147–153. ISBN 1-898432-46-5.
  1. ^ Townsin 1998, p. 147-148.
  2. ^ Miller 1992.
  3. ^ Townsin 1998, p. 150.
  4. ^ Townsin 1998, p. 153.