Dennis Lance

The Dennis Lance is a single-decker bus built by Dennis between 1991 and 2000, replacing the Dennis Falcon. Its low-floor variant, the Dennis Lance SLF, was built between 1993 and 1996. Between 1995 and 1998, Dennis also built its double-deck variant, the Dennis Arrow (initially marketed as double-deck Dennis Lance), as the replacement of the Dennis Dominator.

The Dennis Lance was available with a number of bodies, most commonly Alexander PS and Plaxton Verde. It was sold to a number of bus operators in the United Kingdom, and it was also exported to Hong Kong and Singapore. UMW-Dennis of Malaysia also built a number of Lance chassis (known as the UMW-Dennis Lance) for the Southeast Asian market. A total of Dennis Lances were sold back to United Kingdom to operate the shuttles.

The Dennis Arrow was available with Northern Counties Palatine and East Lancs E Type/Pyoneer bodywork. Less popular than the Lance, it was sold to just five PCV operators in the United Kingdom, including Capital Citybus who bought 54 of the 73 built (the total number also included two purpose-built playbuses), London & Country who took 10 and Nottingham City Transport who took 4. The Dennis Arrow was superseded by the low-floor Dennis Trident 2.

Of around 105 Dennis Lance SLF built, the majority had Wright Pathfinder bodywork, including 38 for London Buses (type LLW) for use on the first London routes to go low floor including London United Busways (now Transdev London) Hounslow route 120 and Centrewest (now First London) Uxbridge route 222, being 2 of 5 routes to introduce the type to the capital. Also 31 (LN1-31) [K301-331 YJA] with Northern Counties B37D, built for London Buses (Metroline) in 1993 for routes 302 and 113 from Cricklewood (W) garage. One (ex LN2) is pictured opposite, now operating in Ernest. The Berkhof Excellence 1000 NL bodywork was fitted to 30 dual purpose specialist vehicles for the British Airports Authority for use on staff shuttle duties at Heathrow Airport, delivered in 1994/5, and also five each for Stagecoach East Kent and Stagecoach Ribble.