Coaching rally winners
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• Yorkshire operators dominated this year's British Coach rally at Brighton, scooping three of the top four prizes.
As usual Bibby's of Ingleton figured in the top awards, with Coach Driver of the Year going to Malcolm Stephenson, driving a 53-seat Leyland Tiger TL 11 with Plaxton Paramount body which also won a prize as top Leyland coach at the rally.
This year's Coach of the Year award went to a Jet Rider entered by Yorkshire Rider. The 39-seat Jonckheere P599bodied coach is built on a Volvo BlOM chassis and finished in a black, orange and yellow livery. It also won the Jonckheere trophy, the Volvo trophy, the Hefac Webasto trophy and the Model Bus Federation award for attractive livery.
The Yorkshire Rider entry was driven by David Belton, who came second in the Coach Driver of the Year award.
A Bibby's Bedford Venturer coach won the Best in all Classes award, while Kenzie's Coaches won the Touring and Express Coach award with a Van Hool Alizee coach built on a Volvo B1OM chassis.
Peugeot Talbot used the rally to launch a turbocharged version of its Talbot Express Pullman tri-axle minibus.
The company plans to offer the vehicle with uprated rear axles, plating it at 4.5 tonnes, compared with the current four tonnes. At its present plated weight the vehicle is close to its weight limit when carrying 20 seated passengers; uprating the rear axle will allow it to carry additional passengers.