More than 50 years after they were built, nearly half of the motorway speed Routemasters built for British European Airways survive in some form at home or abroad, several of them still mobile
Of all the classes of Routemaster that AEC and Park Royal produced for London, the highest surviving proportion are examples of the forwardentrance buses built for the British European Airways connecting Heathrow Airport and the West London Air Terminal.
Out of 65 delivered in 1966/67, 32 are still in existence. The 2017 edition of Capital Transport’s Routemaster Handbook lists some as preserved or awaiting restoration, some still at work, some converted into catering or hospitality units, three now opentop and three used as caravans or mobile homes.
Three are in France, two in Portugal, one each in the Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden. London Transport operated the service on behalf of BEA, hence the airline’s choice of vehicles built substantially to LT standards. The Routemasters replaced Park Royal-bodied AEC Regal IVs that had been operating since 1952/53.
The Regals had 37 seats, around half of them on a raised deck above a large rear luggage compartment. With air travel becoming more popular, their repla…
