The favourites romp home at Coach Roll
Page 11
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F THE BOOKIES had been at Blackpool last weekend for the ;Oth National Coach Rally they might have lost a lot of money, tecause the two favourites romped home, writes DAVID VILCOX.
National Coach of the Year itle went again to Kinch l'xecutive Coaches of Lough)orough, while Peter Bibby of Fred Bibby and Son of Ingle...on, North Yorkshire, carried )ff the other top award, ■ Iational Driver of the Year.
Last Saturday, the 64 enrants completed a 70-mile pad section in brilliant sunbine, and Peter Donnovan in )ne of Fylde Borough Council rransport's two entries won :his part of the competition.
Always there in force, 3ibby's of Ingleton entered no ewer than four coaches. They eem to get more ornate each rear and are now almost up to anal narrow-boat standards n terms of lettering, artwork .nd badges.
But, as usual, Bibby's excelHI at the driving tests, and 'eter Bibby took the top ward after being runner-up to ,ne of his own drivers last year nd winning in 1978. He beat he eight other finalists on the ,unday afternoon with a dishy of fast and tidy manouving.
Another Blackpool regular, ,haws of Barnsley, were also ttending in force with four oaches, but having reached he driving finals Terry Shaw quandered his chances when, jr once, he failed to find averse gear when he needed it lost.
Last year Kinch took the :oach of the Year award with s £60,000 Master Executive a ehicle that seemed hard to etter. But Kinch was back -Us year with its Executive laster costing a cool £70,000.
It is a Volvo B58, bodied by laxton, with panelling where ae rearmost side windows lould be.
This conceals a toilet with asin, kitchen area designed nd built by a kitchen planner solid wood complete with ot and cold running water, microwave oven, a bar. .... Up front in the tabled seating area are two colour televisions with video.
The colour scheme inside the coach is a deep blue and the seats have contrasting broad yellow stripes — this same moquette is on the ceiling as well. The external livery is the reverse of this; blue stripes on a yellow base, stunning coach and a worthy winner.
Enterprise Executive Travel of Rochdale entered a Duplebodied Bedford in the executive class and this also drew a lot of admiration because of its livery. The lower half of the white body had yellow, red and brown bands that merged-gradually into one another, producing a striking and unusual effect.
S & M Coaches of Hadleigh, Essex, were rewarded for their long drive to Blackpool by winning the concours class for the best standard coach over 37ft with an immaculately prepared and very shiny Plaxton-bodied Leopard. Shearings of Altrincham took the equivalent award for coaches up to 37ft long with yet another Plaxton-bodied vehicle, this time a Ford.