Bristol Commercial Vehicles Enthusiasts

This website is for anyone interested in the products of Bristol Commercial Vehicles, a manufacturer swallowed up by British Leyland and a tragic victim of the politics of the 1970s and early 1980s. The models we deal with in full detail are the VR (Vertical Rear-engined) double decker, the remarkable Lodekka half-cab low-floor double decker and the single-deck RE (Rear-Engined) and LH (Lightweight Horizontal-engined) models with every single chassis listed from original owner through all subsequent owners to final (or current!) resting place. It is a sad fact that in 2022 all Bristols are now extinct in normal service but many VRs remain in use in the U.K. withcertain operators and also in non-PSV roles. By contrast there are now well over 200 VRs recorded in various states of preservation in the U.K. with many more continuing to earn their keep in a multitude of uses around the World. Ever-faithful Lodekkas also continue to earn their keep in all corners of the World, some of them now well beyond their sixtieth birthday, while many are still in private hands in the U.K. Finally there are also many preserved REs and LHs that continue to provide nostalgia and enjoyment at events around the U.K.

FEATURES
***Maintenance and Parts Manuals - Scanned and searchable***

***Most recent Unusual Bristol - Another Lodekka converted to OMO***

***Commercial Motors Archive***

Spotters' Log - all Bristol sightings recorded here

I do not charge any fees for listing Bristol vehicles for sale on this page, but I regret I cannot advertise events due to lack of available time. I do however list Bristols advertised on eBay in the hope of alerting buyers who may otherwise miss the opportunity and have added a few additional links to interesting eBay categories such as those for Photos and Models at various points on the website.

I hope that whether you are a regular visitor to this site or you have simply stumbled across it you can sense the enjoyment I have derived over many years in compiling it (and continue to do so - there's still a long way to go before I'm "finished" documenting these wonderful timeless vehicles). I have recently started a number of new pages which deal with the more unusual and noteworthy aspects of operation and use of the VR, Lodekka, RE and LH models and I thought it was time to share the links for these new pages with you. All are still very much under construction so do please come back periodically and see what I have added. The first page deals with unfortunate incidents resulting in fire and accident damage. Next comes vehicle liveries (this will take a long time to complete and the list is so far very incomplete). Finally there is a repository for operations, uses and conversions which I think merit their own separate entry which I am calling Unusual Bristols. I have also listed some coverage of Bristols on YouTube. If you have any contributions for any of these pages I would be delighted to hear from you.

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Operator Focus (April 17th 2021) Western National Having recently completed the United Counties section of the website I have now moved on to the convoluted history of liveries carried by vehicles with Western National. Operator Focus - Archive The Operator Focus Archive contains a log of previously featured operators. If you can contribute to fill any gaps or correct any mistakes I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Photo of the Month (June 3rd 2023) My current focus with the website is on building out the histories of the LHs operated by Western National (and subsequent companies) which brings back memories of the time when bus operation on Guernsey was dominated by the LH chassis (with a wide variety of bodywork). AFJ722T was an outlier in that it passed initially to Holiday Tours on Jersey, running for them for several years before eventually finding its way to Guernseybus. It's fair to say that neither livery carried on Jersey was particularly sympathetic to the elegant lines of its Plaxton bodywork! Photo of the Month - Archive This is the latest photo in a regular feature intended to showcase the work of some of the very kind contributors to this website to whom we are very much indebted.

The Illustrated Histories Log page details those vehicles that have already been processed. More are added every month. If you can help to complete any with either additional information or photos I would be delighted to hear from you, either through the submission of photos or slides for scanning, or through the email of digital images. You will find my Contact Information at the foot of this page.

ILLUSTRATED CURRENT SURVIVORS LISTS

COMPLETE TYPE LISTS

eBay items index

Contact Information

Your webmaster would be delighted to hear from you about anything Bristol/ECW-related. His email address is rob@robsly.com.

This site is best viewed at a resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher

Bristols on Video
Following the use of JOU161P on free services in and around Cheltenham on Saturday 12th September 2009 a video of it appeared on YouTube, thanks to the prolific camera of Simon "Video47". This has prompted me to add a new page to this website where I will add links to videos of Bristol VRs, REs, LHs and Lodekkas across the Internet. If you find any more do please drop me a line at rob@robsly.com and I will build up this library of material.

Facebook Page
I thought it might be nice to have a forum whereby readers could easily comment on and raise issues about the website, chat with me and with each other and help with information and photos for use on the website. I have therefore added a page on Facebook where I will periodically post photos and information that might not normally make it onto this website. I have started off with four photos of Bristol Lodekkas which I hope we might be able to identify and thereby add to the historical record on here. Do please become a fan of this website - I look forward to seeing you there!

The Doctor Who story has been moved here

Special Feature - a Bristol VR at the 2010 World Cup

Morocco Special Bulletin

Fantastic news is that after 22 years "missing in action" Series 1 flat-front VR BYG851H, former West Yorkshire VR44, has been spotted in good condition in Morocco. It was parked just off the main road heading back into Tangier from Cap Spartel and the "Caves of Hercules". Unfortunately Clive Williams (whose quick thinking provided enough of the registration to check its identity on this website) was on a tour coach at the time so it was impossible to get a photo. My request to readers is for anyone who finds themselves heading out to Morocco to keep their eyes peeled for this one (and to carry a camera with them!!).