Launched at the Coach & Bus '97 expo in Birmingham on the as-yet-unannounced Volvo B7L chassis, the Plaxton President was designed as the successor of the Northern Counties Palatine to compete with the low-floor Alexander ALX400 body, being the first 2.55 metres (8 ft 4 in) wide bus body produced in the United Kingdom following a 1995 amendment to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 that legalised their operation.

The final nine Presidents, all on Volvo B7TL chassis for London operator Metroline, were built at the Wigan plant in January 2005.

[1] Arriva London would go on to purchase 91 Plaxton Presidents on the DAF chassis until 2005, acquiring a further ten from Capital Logistics.

[1] Travel West Midlands were the second largest operator of Presidents outside London, taking delivery of 102 examples on Volvo B7TL chassis between 1999 and 2000.

Prior to the company being taken over by the Go-Ahead Group, Southern Vectis took delivery seven Presidents on Volvo B7TL chassis for 'Island Explorer' services in 2002.

[13] East Yorkshire later purchased 27 mid-life Presidents from Go-Ahead London in 2012, some of which was converted for open top operation and driver training.