Metro Cammell Weymann
After the re-organisation of British Leyland, both VR and Fleetline became Leyland offerings and, when production of both ceased in 1981, over 6,400 VRs and 11,500 Fleetlines had been built. Frustrated at the lack of competition to Leyland, some operators turned to other manufacturers, who began to offer alternatives to the state-owned manufacturer. Supply problems at Leyland did not help matters and products such as the Scania Metropolitan and Dennis Dominator began to make small inroads into the rear-engined market, while the Volvo Ailsa B55 reintroduced a front-engined double-deck chassis, with a front entrance, with some success. The Scania/Metro Cammell Weymann partnership, which produced the Metropolitan, ended in the late 1970s and forced MCW to introduce its own rear-engined product, available as an integral or chassis, the MCW Metrobus. The success of the Metrobus, particularly with West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive and London Transport, would spur Leyland on to develop a new heavy-duty rear-engined bus, sealing the eventual withdrawal of the Atlantean from the market.