COACHBUILDERS - PLAXTON EARLY DAYS

If you find it difficult to tell a Venturer from a Crusader, a Highway from a Conway or an Embassy from a Panorama this collection may help you. Plaxton celebrated their centenary in 2007 and continue their domination of the British produced coach market from their headquarters in Scarborough, Yorkshire.

Plaxton Highway on Tiger Cub
AUG 1980
Plaxton didn't name their body styles until 1950, prior to that they just had body numbers, "I want one like that please". This vehicle with Hunters of Tantobie appeared at the 1949 Commercial Motor Show. I saw it dragged off to the scrappers twenty years later.
Plaxton Venturer
Plaxton body on the Leyland Comet chassis.
A Highway body with a Consort grille and screen - a style which was to see further life on the Embassy body.
Plaxton Consort lV
Plaxton Panorama
Plaxton Consort
Plaxton Embassy with 'look at me' BET peak.
Shoot the designer! A lapse of concentration resulted in a short run of plug ugly 'Remington Razor' grilled Embassy lll bodies in 1964. Plaxton enthusiasts like myself were aghast at this crude fibre glass cobble up. It was replaced by Embassy lV in 1965.
A scaled down Consort.
Plaxton Embassy lV
Plaxton Embassy
Plaxton Highway.
When the regs changed in the early 50's some old stock forward engined vehicles were rebodied by Plaxton. This is a Plaxton Venturer l on an AEC Regal lll chassis with Jackson of Kirkby Stephen.
It looks like a Plaxton Panorama but it's a Bedford VAL with an Embassy 'panorama windowed' body'.
A lovely Panorama l. I wonder if Marsden Models have thought about this for a resin kit?
COPYRIGHT DAVID LONGBOTTOM, DRIFFIELD
Plaxton Consort lV Ex Wallace Arnold, Aura Coaches Washington 1969
Plaxton Consort, Stirks of Staindrop in Barnards Castle, 1972.
Plaxton Consort on an Albion chassis with Coopers of Gilesgate, Durham City.
Plaxton Venturer

STUART'S BUSES WORLDWIDE

COACHBUILDERS - PLAXTON EARLY DAYS