AEC Buses

Some photographs I took of AEC buses during my visits to museums, with a brief history of this iconic bus manufacturer.

Photographs taken on my visits to the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust at Bridgeton Garage in Glasgow, The Scottish Vintage Bus Museum in Dunfermline and the Transport Museum Greater Manchester. My thanks to these museums for allowing me to photograph the vehicles.

Brief History of AEC (Associated Equipment Company) Buses

1909: London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) begins building its own buses.
1912: AEC (Associated Equipment Company) founded as LGOC’s manufacturing arm.
1914–1918: Produces military lorries (notably the Y-type) during WWI.
1927: Main production moves from Walthamstow to Southall, West London.
1929: Introduces Regent double-decker and Regal single-decker bus chassis.
1948: Becomes part of Associated Commercial Vehicles (ACV) group.
1953: Launches AEC Reliance single-deck chassis.
1954: Builds first Routemaster prototypes with Park Royal.
1958: Full production of Routemaster buses begins.
1962: Leyland Motors acquires ACV (including AEC).
1968: Last Routemasters completed at AEC Southall works.
1977: AEC brand begins to be phased out under Leyland.
1979: Southall factory closes; last AEC chassis completed.
1979: Last AEC bus produced. AEC Reliance / Duple Dominant — registration JTM 109V

AEC Buses in production date order

Photographs within this table: © VintageBuses.org — Creative Commons BY 4.0
(larger sizes available FOC)

Specifications	AEC Buses in Museums
July 1938 Registration Number: BUS 181 Chassis: AEC Regent 0661 Chassis Number: 06616225 Body Type & Seating: Crossley (1950) cut-down R4 Body Number: 2363 Original Operator: Glasgow Corporation Fleet Number: 615 (later AR292) Location: GVVT Bridgeton Bus Garage, Glasgow
December 1939 Registration Number: BBA 560 Chassis: AEC Regent 0661 Body Type & Seating: Park Royal seated 48, standing 5 Original Operator: Salford Corporation Transport Fleet Number: 235 (later 98) Location: Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester
September 1946 Registration Number: AWG 639 Chassis: AEC Regal Mk 1 0662 Body Type & Seating: Alexander C35F Original Operator: W Alexander & Sons Ltd. Fleet Number: A52 Location: Scottish Vintage Bus Museum, Dunfermline
1947 Registration Number: AWG 623 Chassis: AEC Regal Mk 1 0662 Body Type & Seating: Alexander C30F Original Operator: W. Alexander & Sons Ltd. Fleet Number: A36 Location: Scottish Vintage Bus Museum, Dunfermline
January 1961 Registration Number: EDS 288A (originally WLT 910) Chassis: AEC Routemaster Chassis Number: RM910 Body Type: Park Royal H36/28R Original Operator: London Transport Fleet Number: RM910 Represented Operator: Kelvin Scottish Fleet Number: 1929 Location: GVVT Bridgeton Bus Garage, Glasgow
January 1961 Registration Number: SGD 500 Chassis: AEC Regent V Chassis Number: 2D2RA827 Body Type & Seating: Alexander H41/31F Body Number: 6137 Original Operator: Glasgow Corporation Fleet Number: A350 Location: GVVT Bridgeton Bus Garage, Glasgow
May 1961 Registration Number: YDK 590 Chassis: AEC Reliance 2MU3RA Body Type & Seating: Harrington Cavalier Original Operator: Yellowway Motor Services (Rochdale) Location: Transport Museum, Greater Manchester
July 1961 Registration Number: WLT 835 Chassis:AEC Routemaster Original Operator: London Transport Fleet Number: RM835 Location: Visiting GVVT Bridgeton Bus Garage, Glasgow 2025
May 1962 Registration Number: 7424 SP Chassis: AEC Reliance 2MU3RV Body Type & Seating: Alexander C41F Original Operator: W Alexander (Fife) Fleet Number: FAC4 Location: The Scottish Vintage Bus Museum, Dunfermline
February 1963 Registration Number: 414 CLT Chassis: AEC Routemaster 2R2RH Original Operator: Demonstrator from London Transport for Manchester Corporation Transport Fleet Number: RM1414 Location: Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester
January 1964 Registration Number: 8860 VR Chassis: AEC Regent V 2D3RA Body Type & Seating: East Lancs Original Operator: A Mayne & Son Location: Transport Museum, Greater Manchester
January 1965 Registration Number: CUV 131C Chassis: AEC Routemaster Chassis Number: RM2121 Body Type & Seating: Park Royal H36/28R Body Number: L5352 Original Operator: London Transport Fleet Number: RM2121 Location: GVVT Bridgeton Bus Garage, Glasgow
September 1965 Registration Number: PTC 114C Chassis: AEC Renown 3B3RA Body Type & Seating: East Lancs seated 72 standing 5 Original Operator: Leigh Buses Fleet Number: 15 Location: Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester
March 1975 Registration Number: HVU 244N Chassis: AEC Reliance 6U3ZR Body Type & Seating: Plaxton Panorama Elite III seats 49 Original Operator: Yelloway Motor Services (Rochdale) Location: Transport Museum, Greater Manchester