Optare Prisma

Optare Prisma

First Manchester Optare Prisma in Eccles in December 2007
Body and chassis
Doors 1 door
Floor type Step entrance
Powertrain
Engine Mercedes Benz
Transmission ZF 4-speed automatic
Voith 3-speed automatic
Chronology

The Optare Prisma was a single-decker bus body produced for the Mercedes-Benz O405 chassis. 121 vehicles were built, the majority were bought by Tees & District (now Arriva North East); Grampian Regional Transport (now First Aberdeen); Eastern Scottish, (now First Edinburgh); Leicester Citybus (now First Leicester); and East Yorkshire Motor Services.

The front end of the body was built by Mercedes-Benz as standard. So the Wright Cityranger, which was the main rival body to the Prisma for the O405 chassis in the UK, is very similar in styling to the Prisma. The sides and back end of the body followed the styling of other Optare products at that time, such as the Delta and Vecta. The Prisma eventually outsold the 22 Wright Cityranger bodies.