# Dennis Rapier

The Dennis Rapier is a purpose-built fire engine produced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles of Guildford, Surrey, England from 1991 to the early 2000s.

## Features

Regular production of the Rapier began in 1991, following a demonstrator unit being shown around different fire brigades in the United Kingdom a year prior. The first Rapiers maintained some design elements of the RS/SS series they replaced, although featuring a redesigned front grille and rectangular headlights.
The Rapier would receive a facelift in 1993, designed by Capoco Design. The facelift would be mainly focused on the cab, giving it a modern and streamlined appearance and also allowing the cab to tilt to a total of 42 degrees. This facelift redesign would see Dennis and Capoco win a British Design Award in 1994.
As standard, the Rapier is powered by a Cummins C260-21 turbocharged six-cylinder engine and has an Allison MCDR five-speed automatic transmission. The Rapier's suspension uses "race car technology" such as a double-wishbone and coil springs with telescopic dampers, and the gearing allows a governed top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).
While the Rapier proved very popular with some brigades, others found it to be prohibitively expensive and limited in its equipment load capacity. The Dennis Sabre would be launched in 1995 as a low-cost alternative with increased load capacity, which would ultimately succeed the Rapier and eventually be the last full-size fire engine produced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles. Production of the Dennis Rapier would eventually cease in the early 2000s due to low sales and a parts shortage as a result of the discontinuation of the Renault Midliner, which sourced the Rapier's front suspension and brakes.

## Operators

The Humberside Fire Brigade were a major customer for the Dennis Rapier in the United Kingdom, with the brigade standardising on the appliance throughout its production into the late 1990s. Other operators of the Rapier in the United Kingdom included fire brigades in Merseyside, who took on a handful of pre-facelift examples, West Sussex, Kent, Shropshire and Nottinghamshire.
Following life as a demonstrator, a MkI Rapier (which had been retrofitted to have the 1993 facelift cab) was later delivered the Fire Service College in Moreton. This unit was sold to the New Zealand Fire Service in the early 2000s, making it not only one of the first Rapiers to be built, but also the first Rapier to serve in New Zealand. This appliance was later joined by a handful of imported MkI Rapiers that had also served in UK prior to their delivery to New Zealand, albeit these examples retained their origin pre-facelift cab design. As of 2023, all Rapiers in New Zealand have been retired, with the original Ex-Demonstrator/FSC Rapier now preserved.
Dennis Rapiers were also built for fire brigades in Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
Two Dennis Rapiers were delivered to Frankfurt and Erfurt, Germany in 2000 to evaluate whether the Rapier could function as a standard rescue pumper. The Rapier was met with a mixed reception by Frankfurt's fire crews in particular, and following a brief trial period, no further orders of the Rapier followed.
One Dennis Rapier was delivered to Hong Kong.