In the early 1980s, during the production of the Chavdar B13-20 and B14-20 models, it was determined that a modern platform with a rear-mounted engine and the lowest possible floor for easy access to the passenger compartment was needed.
The Chavdar factory and DSO Avtoprom turned to the Austrian manufacturer Steyr to manufacture three prototypes. A city bus, 12 meters long (later known as Chavdar 130), an intercity-regional bus (Chavdar 330), and an articulated city bus (Chavdar 140). For this purpose, Czech LIAZ engines and Bulgarian Madara drive and support axles were sent to Austria.
Steyr manufactured the bodywork and passenger compartment to the highest possible standard, equipping the buses with the most advanced safety systems of the time.
The prototype of the articulated city bus had a fully anti-corrosion treated body, a modern electrical system with automatic circuit breakers, and the engine was controlled by electronic throttle and engine brake. The gearbox is a five-speed automatic ZF 5HP500, and the braking system has ABS and ASR. The doors have locks.
The Chavdar 140 is a prototype, only one of which was ever made. The production buses, familiar in Sofia and Burgas and known as the Chavdar 141, have a number of changes that distinguish them from the prototype. For example, the wheelbase between the front and middle axles was extended by 15 cm to match that of the Chavdar 130. This decision led to a deterioration in the maneuverability, dynamics, and balance of the production buses.
During testing, the Chavdar 140 demonstrated excellent qualities while being operated in Burgas, and, together with the Chavdar 130 and Chavdar 330, was presented in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Orenburg. The prototype covered the distance without any problems under its own power.
From the early 1990s to 2000, the prototype was used to transport workers at the Chavdar factory, after which it was purchased by the bus operator ET “Novko Novkov” – Botevgrad. It served the bus lines around Botevgrad, mainly Botevgrad-Pravets. Due to a decline in work, it was not in active service from 2009 to 2025.
The Association has purchased, restored, and put this bus back into service as part of the history of automobile manufacturing in Bulgaria, as an example of the desire to modernize public transport at the end of the 20th century.
