Plaxton Beaver facts for kids

The Plaxton Beaver is a type of small bus, also known as a minibus. It was built by a company called Plaxton. These buses were designed with a "step-entrance," meaning you had to step up to get inside, rather than walking straight onto a low floor.

The Plaxton Beaver was first known as the Reeve Burgess Beaver. It was a popular choice for schools, community groups, and smaller bus routes because of its size.

The First Beaver (1987-1995)

The very first Plaxton Beaver buses were made between 1987 and 1995. They were often built on the chassis (the main frame and wheels) of Mercedes-Benz vans, like the 709D and 811D models.

Some early Beavers also used chassis from Renault, specifically the S56 and S75 models, until 1992. A few were even built on Iveco 49.10 chassis.

The Beaver 2 (1996)

In December 1996, Plaxton introduced an updated version called the Beaver 2. This new model was built on the Mercedes-Benz Vario chassis. It took over from the original Beaver design.

The Beaver 3 (2006)

The newest version, the Beaver 3, was launched in 2006. This bus combined the body of the Beaver 2 with the front part of another Plaxton bus model called the Plaxton Cheetah. This gave it a fresh, modern look.

Gallery

• 

  Reeve Burgess bodied Mercedes-Benz 709D

• 

  Plaxton Beaver 1 bodied Mercedes-Benz O811

• 

  Plaxton Beaver 2 bodied Mercedes-Benz O814 Vario

• 

  Plaxton Beaver 3 bodied Mercedes-Benz O814D Vario