The UK bus scene in 2016 is the most colourful you’ll find anywhere in the world. There are some truly stunning liveries to be found adorning vehicles in and around the country’s towns and cities at the moment, but what about those which are no longer with us?
Whether the operator simply went through a rebranding exercise or has sadly been consigned to the dustbin of history, some achingly beautiful liveries have been lost from the streets over the years. Time to take a trip down memory lane…
10. First London
Let’s face it, all buses in London look the same these days. It wasn’t always so. First had arguably the most attractive livery of the lot during TfL’s ‘80% red’ era.
9. Wilts & Dorset
This past Wilts & Dorset livery is reminiscent of an 80s business suit with its black shoes, white shirt and thinly-lined red tie, complemented of course by a thick, black moustache.
8. First ‘Barbie 2’
OK, we’ll admit it – we’ve included this one here for sheer comedy value, really. A truly dreadful colour scheme which First used throughout the 2000s to single out its oldest, most dilapidated vehicles purely for the purpose of making them look even older and more dilapidated.
7. Blackpool Transport
A timeless green and cream classic coupled with that unmistakably unique logo, adorning Atlanteans, Olympians and Optare Deltas in many forms throughout its reign. How about bringing it back for 2016?
6. Mainline
Mainline’s bold, brash red and yellow certainly stood out against the backdrop of the Steel City.
5. Harrogate & District
Local, recognisable identity at its best; a real Yorkshire institution pictured here during the red and cream years.
4. Badgerline
Badger badger badger badger badger badger, mushroom mushroom…
3. North Western
It’s said that no two North Western vehicles ever had the same livery applied, because nobody could quite decide on the angle of the white band across the front which had the job of separating those bold, contrasting red and blue colours. Compare a few shots on Flickr and you’ll see what we mean…
2. Stagecoach Stripes
The one we all miss unanimously and arguably want to see back the most. Long live Stagecoach stripes.
1. GM Buses, Manchester
Harking back to the days of GM Buses and SELNEC before it, orange is a colour which will be forever associated with Manchester, but is sadly no more. Oh, how we miss it.
So, that’s our ‘top 10’ – which liveries would make your list? We’d love to know – write in the comments below, or drop us a tweet @transportdsn.
13 Responses
Great site
How about Northumbria buses (now part of Arriva)? East Midland/Mansfield & District/Frontrunner pre-Stagecoach ownership? Northern bus? London & Country?
All great contenders, look out for one of many follow-up posts… 🙂
Yorkshire Rider green and cream, and Keighley & District white and blue spring to mind too.
First Eastern National green & yellow, Western National with the red & blue ‘flags’ down the side. Blackpool Transport’s Metro Coastlines scheme, London & Country…
Was never a fan of Metro Coastlines if I’m honest! And it’s all gone downhill in Blackpool since then…I like Palladium but what’s it all about?!
Way back in the past, but Barton buses always looked very special in red, maroon and cream.
Barton almost made the list! Watch out for ‘part 2’ 🙂
Love the league tables! One livery that goes even further back that always looks simple but distinctive, was the traditional ‘argyle blue’ and cream of Blue Bus Services (Tailby and George) of Willington Derby. This was a class above most fleet liveries of the time, and was distinctive and classy. In the 60’s it wasn’t fussy, and didn’t have to shout out ‘look at me’, you just did look, and felt reassured that there was ‘a good bus company’. Even rear engined double deckers looked properly proportioned in the colours then, and the colour mix would still stand out with current vehicle designs, obviously with the help of the current small crop of design specialists in the field.
What About the Grampian Reigonal Transport (GRT) livery applied to their Olympians in the late 80’s.
An example can be seen here on the now preserved E131DRS
https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_love/14210850231/
No one I know has ever said I really miss the First Barbie 2 livery with the dodgy fafes
Birmingham – cream and navy blue
WestyorkshirE rich colours yorkshire rider looked dirty and made vehicles look tatty apart from when newly applied