Leyland Panther

The Leyland Panther was a rear-engined single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between the years 1964 and 1972. A version with a smaller engine was released as the Leyland Panther Cub.
History.
The Leyland Panther was introduced in 1964. In total, over 600 Panthers were bodied as buses for UK operators, and about 700 chassis were built for export. It gained a reputation for unreliability, which to some extent was common to many of the first generation of rear-engined single-deckers.
Operators.
Sunderland Corporation Transport ordered 30 Panthers, in 1965 all of which were delivered by December 1966 by 1971 the fleet was 90 strong. Southport Corporation Transport 22 and Liverpool City Transport 110.
Exports.
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik in Sweden had 200 left-hand drive Panthers bodied by Park Royal Vehicles.
The largest quantity of Panthers was purchased by Australia's Brisbane City Council, who purchased 341 between 1966 and 1970. The Metropolitan Transport Trust, Perth purchased 127 between 1968 and 1974. A few operators including Forest Coach Lines, Grenda's Bus Service, Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines and Rover Coaches also purchased Panthers.
Some second-hand Panthers were imported into Australia from Sweden and the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and operated by Fearne's Coaches, Forest Coach Lines, Grenda's Bus Service, Invicta Bus Services and Keiraville Bus Service.
Ten Panthers were sold to Dunedin City Transport in New Zealand, while another ten went to Egged in Israel and were locally bodied by Ha'argaz.