Until the last quarter of the twentieth century Maltese buses were generally produced using locally constructed bodywork, usually with a modified chassis of UK or American origin. In the early days the colour of the livery related to the service area the bus covered, but by the mid-1970s the traditional liveries on the service buses were replaced by a green body with a white roof, while ‘unscheduled buses’ had a buff body and a white roof.
The start of the 1980s saw the importation of complete vehicles from the UK. AEC Swifts were sourced from London Transport, while a variety of Bedford and Ford coaches started to appear carrying bodies by Plaxton and Duple. Other types included Bristol LH, AEC Reliance, Leyland Leopard, Tiger Cub and Panther Cub. In typical Maltese fashion vehicles were often modified with different axles, engines and gearboxes, bodies rebuilt and, in some cases, replaced totally.
In this colour album the introduction is followed by the pictures, the majority of which are displayed in 2-per-page format. All photographs featured were taken by the author, Tim Machin, between 1985 and 2011. Each image is accompanied by a detailed caption which generally lists location and date taken, vehicle type and original UK operator, the dates the bus went into service in both the UK and Malta, UK registration number on importation and all registration numbers subsequently used on the vehicle, withdrawal date and what happened to the vehicle on withdrawal.
180 colour photographs. 96 pages.