This single deck bus was a joint collaboration between Leyland and the National Bus Company. It was an attempt by the former to replace all of the different chassis types and aided the latter with their push for standardisation. With Southdown they eventually replaced all of the Leopard and RE saloons. It was a functional vehicle but had no ‘flair’, the Company operated both single and dual door examples and they served across the area. They were never a favourite of mine and it is now amazing to think that the earliest examples are celebrating their fiftieth anniversary.
The changeover years….