The Daimler Fleetline (known as the Leyland Fleetline from c.1975) was a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis built between 1960 and 1973 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and from 1973 until 1980 in Farington, Lancashire, England. However, the last complete vehicle did not enter service until 1982. It was superseded by the Leyland Olympian.

The Fleetline was the second rear-engined chassis to be launched, following Leyland's introduction of the Atlantean in 1958. From the outset, the Fleetline had a drop-centre rear axle fitted as standard, enabling low-height bodywork to be fitted without necessitating an inconvenient seating layout in part of the upper deck, as was the case with early Atlanteans. Leyland responded by offering a drop-centre rear axle as an option on the Atlantean, but after the two companies came under common ownership in 1968, the low-height Atlantean option was discontinued.

Initially, the Fleetline was fitted with a Gardner engine as standard (Leyland engines were later an option), whereas Leyland only offered engines of its own manufacture in the Atlantean. Some operators favoured the Gardner engine and perceived this to be an additional advantage of the Fleetline.

The Daimler/Leyland Fleetline was built mainly for the UK market, but a number of Fleetlines had been exported to Portugal, South Africa and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong
China Motor Bus (CMB) introduced 336 Fleetlines between 1972 and 1980, and Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) also introduced 450 between 1974 and 1979, these Fleetlines were mainly deployed to Cross-Harbour Tunnel routes. CMB adopted the word "Jumbo" (originated from "Jumbo Jet", which was the nickname of the Boeing 747) to describe the large capacity of its Fleetlines, so in Hong Kong, the Fleetlines were commonly known as the "Jumbo" (Traditional Chinese: 珍寶).

In 1980s both CMB and KMB purchased ex-London Transport DMS/DM-class Fleetlines. Citybus and Argos Bus, operators of non-franchised routes and private hire services in Hong Kong, also purchased secondhand Fleetlines (including ex-London Transport DMS/DM-class Fleetlines).

Many of the Daimler/Leyland Fleetlines in Hong Kong were delivered to China for further service after being withdrawn in 1980s/1990s.

Daimler Fleetline. (2007, August 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:56, August 22, 2007