Midland Red — an exclusive line
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SOMEONE who tells a busman that "all buses look the same" will probably be termed a philistine and might even be unfortunate enough to be at the . receiving end of a long lecture to the contrary. But deep down even the most fanatical of bus enthusiasts must admit that there is a common thread running through most buses or coaches run by most companies.
There used to be exceptions, and perhaps the most notable was Midland Red which built its own buses largely for its exclusive use. From an early stage in its development, the Birmingham-based company became convinced that it knew better than manufacturers, and tailor-made its buses for its own use, and it was only in the sixties that this policy broke down and the company swung into line with the rest of the industry.
This is but part of the Midland Red story covered by Malcolm Keeley in Bus_Operators: 1. Midland Red (Ian Allan; £5.95), the first of a series of largely pictorial histories which also give a useful commentary on developments.
Ian Allan, Terminal House, Shepperton, Surrey, TW17 8AS. ALM