This book covers an important aspect of British bus provision that has not been fully documented before. The Mercedes-Benz Midibus may have been small, but it had a huge impact. It became well respected by fleet engineers and served its purpose well. This story is not just about a successful vehicle, it focuses on several small coachbuilding businesses that rose to the forefront of the British manufacturing industry, through the work of their designers, craftsmen and salesmen. The variety that the Mercedes-Benz Midibus offered was quite remarkable!

London Passenger Transport Board inherited a number of small buses from various independent operators during the early 1930s, followed by the introduction of the Leyland Cub around the same period. The introduction of the big-bus policy saw many of the small buses withdrawn from service. The 1950s saw the introduction of the GS-class Guy Special for use on the lightly-trafficked country routes. More smaller buses entered the London Transport fleet in the form of the Ford Transit and Bristol LH / LHS saloons. The mid-1980s saw a resurgence in small-bus operation as a cost-cutting exercise. Many new types entered service with London Buses Limited and other independent operators. The introduction of these minibuses saw a number of new services introduced to serve previously unserved areas of London. However, the success of these small buses led to their replacement by the larger Dennis Dart midibus. while the introduction of varying lengths of Darts catered for many of London’s needs, other types of mini and midibuses were taken into stock by London based operators for fill in gaps. London’s Mini and midibuses takes a look at the various types of mini and midibuses that have operated on routes in the Greater London area.

Surveys the systems, manufacturers and consultants within the global market. City by city, you can analyse and review both current operations and future plans. Provides traffic statistics, fleet lists and numbers in service. Provides contact details and background of approx. 1,500 manufacturers

The book has been fully updated to provide detailed information on bus and coach operators throughout Britain. It also includes information on suppliers, societies, licensing bodies and many other topics and subjects about which it is essential for those working in the industry to know.