Old, vintage advertisements for intercity and urban-transit buses have always fascinated me – perhaps because I’m ancient enough to have rode on a few of them. Here are just a few found on the web, from several locations around the world. Maybe you’ve rode on one too?
Maybe one of the first…circa 1902. Click on the image for a larger photo.
Casaro was an Italian coachbuilder using mostly Alfa Romeo or Lancia chassis – here a trolley bus from 1953…
A UK Commer Avenger chassis with coachwork by Harrington…from the mid-50’s…
Ford V8-powered conventional bus – mid-30’s…
Beck was a small Ohio-based bus manufacturer that mostly mirrored GM designs – here an intercity model with a Cummins diesel – mid-50’s…
Austral-Domino was an Australian bus manufacturer – here is one of their TourMaster series of large intercity coaches – late-70’s…
Ford small transit bus from 1939…
Well-known Dutch truck and bus manufacturer DAF – likely late 40’s…
Mitsubishi-Fuso MS-512 Highway Coach – 1976…
Gillig rear-engined school bus – early 50’s…
Something I didn’t know until I saw this ad – GM marketed a large intercity coach in Colombia under the Chevrolet brand. The bus, however, was mostly Isuzu – assembled locally in Bogota.
Marmon-Herrington Trolley Coach – 1948…
US-based Aerocoach – 1950…
UK-based Trojan made a variety of vehicles; small vans, bubble cars, and small mini-bikes…this is one of their small vans converted to a bus – with Perkins Diesel power – mid-50’s…
How does that slide-out drawer contraption work on the DAF? Is that the motive powerplant, or the aux generator?
That’s the main engine Phillip – as this was a front-engined bus. Several manufacturers in this era used this method for ease of engine access or for a quick engine change.
Telescoping drive shaft?
The engine could be slided out in the blink of an eye. No need to unfasten or disconnect anything. Actually, the engine could run when it was completely slided out.
DAF introduced it in the late forties, the bus body was built by Verheul.
The DAF ad reminds me of this Quasar television ad from the early-70s:
I can’t imagine the highly curious children pulling it out and poking around. How electrifying and explosive!
Thank you for this essay of pictures! I am forwarding the link to a retired bus property employee. He worked first for The County of Westchester, New York property and then for NJT – New Jersey Transit. Mostly he supervised maintenance and development.
Nice collection, Jim. From vintage to classic to the more modern designs. My favorite of the bunch is the Australian Austral Domino. The bull bar (or should I say roo bar?) and the three axles give it a tough look, combined with an outstanding color scheme/livery.
Maybe the Chicago Auto-Coach is what our local mass transit folks need. They always seem to be asking for more subsidies while their buses often run empty. “The Greatest Money Maker on Earth” could be the answer to their prayers.
Loved them.
I suspect the date on the Gillig may be wrong, as the 337 Ford was the big Lincoln/truck flathead, which went out of production in 1951 and was replaced by the Lincoln/truck Y block in 1952.
You know I thought the same thing Paul – the ad had the date 1955 on it, so you’re right, it’s either wrong or maybe Gillig had a stash of flatheads they were using up.
Anothertrojan for work. Lmao!
Something you cannot say to your wife.
Marmon-Herrington trolley coaches are old friends for sure; the longer ones were regulars on the San Francisco Municipal Railway Route 41 which ran through the neighborhood where I grew up. Sometimes a short one would appear. Occasionally a Fageol, which rode much softer and smoother, would substitute…that was a “treat.” But they were not as strong on the hills.
Beck was a highly regarded coach. They eventually got bought by Mack.
Not knowing my buses well, I’ve never heard of Austral-Domino, though that coachwork is entirely familiar. Every interstate coach of the time looked like it: I thought they were all Dennings. In any case, with air springs and GM rear-engine, they were all super-comfy and super-quiet rides – even, when necessary, for hours at 140kmh on corrugated dirt roads, as they used to do. I can attest directly. Alas, the tachograph. Understandable, ofcourse, but dammit, these rigs were utterly safe on these huge distances at those sort of speeds.
For Johannes, the front brushbar/whatever is always called a bullbar here. Which is a bit odd, really, as their purpose is for kangaroos, and for sure, many, many roos become ex-roos upon seeing one. (The lovely-looking creatures are unfortunately truly stupid).
If one hit an actual bull, it’s just going cause damage, and anyway, if they can work out who you are, you’ll have to pay for it! When a bull is actually on the road, one stops!!
The Trojan ad’s a bit comic. For “public service” I’d substitute “community service”, as 45 mpg from a Perkins dismal means their littlest jobbie of the time, which also means that a stout walker could overtake it, and further means each journey would be so long as to be a punishment unusual and cruel, and so surely could only be ordered upon any member of the public bya criminal court. (Anyway, 45 mpg with 14 people? My arse!)
No, Mr B, I was not a fan of old bus brochures at all, but certainly I am now.
So the Hillman wasn’t the first time Rootes had used the Avenger name.
Great selection…never seen a Trojan bus before. I suspect that was the definition of slow and bouncy.
Some bus advertisements from Finland https://vanhojamainoksia.blogspot.com/2019/12/linja-autoja.html
Vanaja bus brochure cover https://www.huuto.net/kohteet/1967-vanaja-le6-69-linja-auto-esite—kuin-uusi—-bussi/520479487