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Why don't buses carry makers badges?
- Thread starter Ken H
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They do often carry manufacturers badges!
There are reasons why a vehicle may not be fitted with them, though:
- They get nicked
- Badges not replaced after a repaint or repair
See the image of the Stagecoach Volvo with MCV Evora bodywork in the link below. It's perhaps not quite so obvious as the badging is on the black panel beneath the windscreen, but it's certainly there.
Stagecoach Highlands welcomes 20 new Volvo B8RLE - MCV eVoRas
After the superior performance of 12 Volvo B8RLE-MCV eVoRas delivered in early 2023, Stagecoach Highlands has taken delivery of 20 additional buses.
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Just last week, Ray Stenning (prolific designer of liveries etc) tweeted on X that complaining that the new Volvo 8900 Electric bus has a big Volvo "grille slash" on its front, leaving little room for the operator's logo:
PG
Established Member
Historically, when chassis could be bodied by any one of a number of coachbuilders, the coachbuilder didn't have any reason to bother with sourcing and fitting a badge denoting the unseen (by passengers) chassis manufacturer. Even integral buses were sometimes anonymous - most NBC Leyland Nationals carried no indication of maker, though the Mk2 version, which featured a front radiator, had prominent block capitals or a scroll badge with the word Leyland. This may or may not be a coincidence, with Leyland gaining full ownership of Leyland National, NBC having relinquished their 50% shareholding the previous year!
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
NBC Nationals may not have had the Leyland roundel after c1975 but they had LEYLAND NATIONAL badges as shown on this factory photo (Brian on Flickr)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23207...bC1-8LAF34-cRvS43-t8UXzr-2nq9C5A-tFVWz-fnmxDY
Some are badged, others have transfers but neither lasts that long with either souvenir hunters, bus washes or general wear and tear get factored in, or when removed for repaint. Here's a new First Volvo B7RLE courtesy of Mikey with both Wright and Volvo shown. Said vehicle was badged as Volvo on the front too but not now
Rear shot of low-floors
MX11HHF - Alexander-bodied Dennis Enviro 200 which was new in May last year and (I think) is allocated to Ashton-under-Lyne though i'm open to correction. BD11CEY - Wright Eclipse-bodied Volvo B7RLE. New to First Manchester in June last year despite it's current Birmingham registration and is...
www.flickr.com
The new e200mmcs have AD logos beneath the windscreen on the Diamond examples but not the Go North West so it is also operator choice.
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Cesarcollie
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Whilst manufacturers might like their name displayed, many operators take the view that the only brand that matters for the customer is their own (and/or route branding if applicable). Hence their specification will include the words ‘delete manufacturer badges’ (or similar). At the end of the day, the customer gets what they specify!
MCR247
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I remember when Nottingham City Transport received a batch of 09-reg Scania Omnidekkas in which the first one or two came with an Optare badge on the front where they usually have Scania. I assume Scania weren’t too happy when they arrived in Worksop at Keltruck as the rest came unbadged on the front and only carried an Optare logo at the back, with the Scania badge later fitted pride of place under the windscreen. This was of course just after Optare had taken over East Lancs.
Think that was a Brian Souter preference when he was in charge.
Stuff since he left has badges
pdq
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I definitely remember the Silcox buses I travelled on as a child in the 80s stating Leyland Leopard on the grille and (Duple) Dominant on the side.
Skip forward 15 years and Kentish Buses' new vehicles displayed Dennis Dart and Northern Counties and Countybus Paladin all dispersed on the front. https://www.flickr.com/photos/85000178@N05/51037007446 is as good an image as I can find - a great looking bus in my opinion.
When these got repainted into Arriva livery, they did indeed generally lose the badging.
Skip forward 15 years and Kentish Buses' new vehicles displayed Dennis Dart and Northern Counties and Countybus Paladin all dispersed on the front. https://www.flickr.com/photos/85000178@N05/51037007446 is as good an image as I can find - a great looking bus in my opinion.
When these got repainted into Arriva livery, they did indeed generally lose the badging.
PG
Established Member
I must be losing it... should have looked at my own avatar which shows the badge in situ on a Mk1 National
In a book I have, there's a photo of the back end of one of the last Fleetlines and it carried the "LEYLAND" block lettering, the "plughole of doom" (British Leyland) badge and a Daimler badge. I think it was SCH117X.
PG
Established Member
Ha ha ha, thanks that really made me chuckle
Incidentally I remember being taught how to construct that back in technical drawing lessons!
stevieinselby
Member
Wright buses (including Wright coachwork on another chassis) almost invariably has the "W" logo on the front and rear, and WRIGHT on the rear.
Yutong have the name on the side and the "wi-fi" logo on the front.
Volvo usually has the name or logo on the front (except on Wright bodywork).
Optare often has the name on the front.
Mercedes have their logo on the front.
Bus operators may have the manufacturer's branding removed if it clashes with their branding.
Essentially, buses are not marketed to the public in the same way that cars, vans and even trucks are. As a member of the public, I might choose to buy a Ford or a Skoda or a BMW, I'll buy a ticket for Arriva or Transdev or Pulhams, but I'm not going to be buying an Optare or Yutong or Wright, so there's no reason to market them at me. Bus fleet buyers will know what's on the market without needing to see the maker's name on buses as they go past!
Not quite the same, but I remember the 40 Leyland Fleetlines delivered to Tyne & Wear PTE in 1977 being badged as Daimlers (and licenced as such). They all pull on Buslistsontheweb as being Leylands.
Even the good old paper tax discs couldn't be relied upon on for accuracy, especially where Leyland was concerned. The initial Leyland Olympian prototype was taxed as a Morgan, a pre-production Tiger as an Austin and as is well known a number of early Olympians were taxed as Bristols. And there were the Tyne & Wear PTE Fleetlines mentioned above. All this was down to the paperwork which Leyland supplied to the vehicle tax offices.
Not just Brian Souter.
Neil Renilson, when he was at Lothian, also had new buses delivered without badging. Older buses had their badges removed.
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Quite a number of Volvo buses with First lost the rear badge when repainted into Olympia & Local livery.
Other Wright buses have lost theirs when having the engine cover replaced on the rear & some on the front with only the ex demonstrator StreetDecks are the only ones to say StreetDeck & Euro 6 on the rear from what I have seen.
Most Enviro’s do say Enviro 400 on the older ones & Enviro 200 is visible on older ones.
Other Wright buses have lost theirs when having the engine cover replaced on the rear & some on the front with only the ex demonstrator StreetDecks are the only ones to say StreetDeck & Euro 6 on the rear from what I have seen.
Most Enviro’s do say Enviro 400 on the older ones & Enviro 200 is visible on older ones.
matchmaker
Established Member
A lot of Glasgow Corporation Leylands (Titans and Atlanteans) had a Leyland Albion bonnet badge, IIRC.
Many older Wright models on the rear lost their badging as it wasn’t moulded. It was essentially paint or a vinyl - e.g. Renown’s. Notably some repainted Gemini’s lost their rear grill badging, I am led to believe this was due to the small fixings deteriorating, so they just left a plain grill and painted it black (easier to maintain).
Interestingly, some millenium Wright products had the choice of having a plain front bumper lacking the logo moulding - Lothian specified this, I am unsure why.
Interestingly, some millenium Wright products had the choice of having a plain front bumper lacking the logo moulding - Lothian specified this, I am unsure why.
randyrippley
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I remember one council fleet manager being quoted on the lines of "Why should I give free advertising to the bus manufacturers? We charge for on-bus adverts"
Goldfish62
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The Volvo BZLs recently delivered to Stagecoach London don't have that, making way for the Stagecoach logo instead.
MCR247
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I suspect the Volvo referred to in the quote is one that they build themselves, rather than a chassis sent to a bodybuilder such as MCV.
Most operators would not bother replacing badges when the front panel gets damaged and replaced, or when the rear panel gets damaged, after all placing badges onto buses increases the time the vehicle is off the road and is therefore a cost that can be avoided, as is the cost of the badge itself.
Worm
Member
Ah the W-reg Citaro fleet, I remember them a huge bunch at Oldham before moving onto Bury when the B7RLE's replaced them before returning again towards EOL.
Most kept the front Mercedes roundel even after repaint into Olympia for the full 16 years of their service life and of course Mercedes placed 'Mercedes-Benz Citaro' on the rear windows in the black film frames.
fgwrich
Established Member
Indeed, and if you're prepared to splash that little bit of extra cash you can even have the operators name illuminated too. Eg see the Reading Buses logo above the Wright Bus W on the front of this street deck for example:
Reading Buses 904/SK66HRX | Route 702 | Slough Bus Station
As part of a fleet trial by Reading Buses to see what vehicles passengers like most on the 702, every week brings something different onto the boards. This week, Orange-branded Wrightbus Streetdeck 904/SK66HRX had a go, seen here leaving Slough bus station with a 702 to Bracknell.
www.flickr.com