FINE DAY FOR PLAXTONS
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ALER winning his class driving a Bedford VAS in last year's rally. C. B. Kenz:e, chief engineer of Kenzie's Coaches Ltd„ Shepreth. Cambridgeshire. returned to Brighton with a 52-seat Bedford VAL and sailed through the 1965 British Coach Rally to become Coach Driver of the Year. It was a rally in which most of the honours on the coachwork side went to Plaxton's of Scarborough, who had built the Coach of the Year. the highest placed standard coach.
and the winners of three of the five classes in the Concours d'Elegance. Harringtor shared in the honours, however, having built the bodies of the runner-up in the overall results, and the winners of the two remaining classes in the Concours.
Drivers in the Sunday heats had no end of trouble with a bollard (an old drum, in fact) at the end of one of the tracks in the fast manceuvrability test. One after another would drive straight down the track, missing all the other 311ards only to send this fellow flying; Ttain coachbuilders will he receiving quests for replacement bumpers! Otherise everything seemed to go fairly noothly, apart from congestion on cerin sections of the road route. Such terference with other traffic is tmavoid)1e, however, if a really testing route tci be found.
The CoaCh of the Year title was earned y a: particularly well pPointed Plaxtonndied.Tharnes from the fleet of ,Flight's (Mrs Ltd., Birmirrgham. Designed with special parties or executives' tours in mind, the coach is equipped with eight tables between facing pairs of seats, with additional seats at the front and rear.
The company has employed one similaily-cquipped coach in their fleet for about 10 years;. during the winter months it is an ideal vehicle for transporting the .Aston Villa football team. Flight's have
• built up quite an impressive record at .13righton. some of their successes include winning the Concours cl'Elegance in .1960. overall runner-up in the 1961 rally,
RESULTS
OVERALL AWARDS
Couch of the Year Me. 13r:gaton Trophy): Flight's Totirs LW., Bloningharn; 1965 Plaxion -sealer otj Ford '3§-(t.:`ctirtssis. Also winner of the Arlington, Alf Wiley, Ford and Pittston
'Fro ph ies. • Ronner-up (Rawlings Trophy): Southdown. Motor Services Ltd., Brighton:, 1964 Harrington 41-seater on Leyland Leopard chassis. Also winner of the Harrington Trophy.
Clacton Trophy (highest-placed standard coach): Potteries Motor Traction Co. Ltd.. 1965 Plaxtun 41-seat Panorama on AFC 'Reliance chassis.
Coach Driver of the Year (" Transport World " Tripolis): C. B. Kenzie driving a 1965 Bedford N. AL with 52-seat Platoon body, DRIVING TEST AWARDS
Coaches tinder 29 ft.: I, W. Benison,. Brownea Luxury Coaches (Redhitl) Ltd., Bedford/Duple. 2. R. A. Bailey, Roma Luxury Coach Tours. Bedford/
Duple. •
Coaches 29-33 ft. (yerticai engine.): I. R. Black
man, .1 Clubb and Son. Ford/ Duran, 2. D. Thomas. Southern Light Coach Centre, Ford/ Duple. Coaches 29-33 ft. (underfloor engine): 1, W. D. Hilditch, Potteries Motor Traction Co. Ltd.. AEC/ Max Eon. 2, 51. Pollard, World Wide Coaches, AEC'Plaston.
Coaches Over 33 ft.: 1. C. B. Kenzie. Kenzie's Coaches Ltd.. BectfordtPlaston, 2, J. Thorpe, Linkline Coaches. Bedford / Dunie.
CONCOGICS D'ELEGANCE Standard 'coaches, not more than 30 seats: 1. C W. Moxon Ltd.. Bedford / Manton. 20 seats. 2:Taylors Reliance Coaches, Red ford / Plan Lon, 29 seats.
Touring and soecial-purpose coaches, not more than 30 seats: I. Southdown Motor Sersices Ltd., Leyiand;Harrington, 25 seats, 2. .1. Cluhb and Son. Ford /Duple. 20 seats.
Standard coaches, 31-44 seats: I. Warburton Bros. (Bury) Ltd.. AEC,IFlarrimnon, 41 seats. 2, Potteries Motor Traction Co, Ltd., AEC Manton, 41 sea is.
Touring and special-poroose coaches, 31 seids and over: 1, Flight's Tours Ltd., Ford/PI:won. 36 seals. 2, Sonshdown Motor Services Ltd.: Leyland! Harrington. 41 seals.
Standard coaches. 45 seals and over: I, Straw's oh Leicester Ltd.. AEC,'Plaston. 49 seats 2. Black and White Motorways Ltd.. Leyland/Harrington. 47 seats.