K148, The Outright Concours d'Elegance Winner

1913 Leyland S3.30.T type bus

Entered by M A Sutcliffe, MBE, Dunstable

In 2004 Mike Sutcliffe, the owner of this vehicle, was awarded the MBE for "services to motor heritage" and his latest and again winning service is this early motor bus which first went on the road way back in 1913. There's no doubting that it has been painstakingly and beautifully restored, or more accurately reconstructed. All that was found of the original was the chassis and body which were an integral parts of a chalet bungalow at the time of discovery!

Odd, but not so odd, it has often been the fate of redundant railway carriages to find their way into the structure of a bungalow of sorts. This is the first time I've come across a bus which had met such a fate. A quick look at the bus will show that it was very much a room-on-wheels with a lot of resemblence to a shop or pub front. So, someone must have thought it would make a nice little sitting room in their bungalow.

The correct engine, gearbox, and controls were salvaged from another vehicle found derelict in a field somewhere in Yorkshire. The prop shaft and drive had to be made, as the pieces were either missing or badly damaged. A new radiator was also made from scratch from the original pattern.

What immediately impresses is the beautiful bodywork.