In the second instalment of his feature, Martin Curtis continues his look at Bristol Commercial Vehicles 40 years after its closure and considers the legacy of this influential bus builder and reflects on bus industry development over its 75 year existence
Development of single-deck buses and coaches took a different path as the company entered the ‘fifties. Like other passenger vehicle producers, maximising passenger loads and economy of operation were of growing importance and Bristol remained at the forefront of design with the introduction of underfloor-engined saloons which allowed increased capacity, were of lightweight construction, and allowed the possibility of driver only operation. The Bristol LS made its début in 1950, to be followed later in the decade by the ‘Medium Weight’ Bristol MW. Around 3,400 of these types were built while a small forward engined SC lightweight model was produced in small quantities from 1954.
From 1955, it was decided to separate vehicle building from the remainder of Bristol Tramway’s activities as Bristol Commercial Vehicles Ltd (BCV), a company which had in fact been formed in 1943. BCV remained under BTC control however and very close ties remained with the operating company, which itself was renamed Bristol Omnibus Company Ltd two years later.
Also in 1955, Brislington’s Body Building Works (BBW) activities came to an end. Increasingly, Bristol had been working closely with ECW, and whilst output remained limited, its final body designs were almost indistinguishable from those made in Lowestoft.
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