The buses on Britain’s roads went through a period of great change between 1950 and 1986. In 1950 the bus manufacturers were at last recovering from the effects of the Second World War, and had new and innovative designs to offer. By the time bus services were deregulated in 1986, buses were very different - longer, wider, more powerful and often with rear engines - and the industry had changed dramatically, with changes of ownership affecting nearly every major operator. This book uses 150 colour photographs to tell the story of the buses that served Britain between 1950 and 1986 and traces the progression from the time-served pre-war buses that survived well into the 1950s, through the early underfloor-engined single-deckers; the lightweight era; the rear-engined double-deckers; the often unsuccessful rear-engined single-deckers; through to the types that could be seen on the streets in the 1990s, including the first of the new-generation minibuses.

Gavin Booth has written or edited more than thirty books on buses and spent more than twenty-five years working for the Scottish Bus Group, latterly as Marketing Manager.