FODEN PLAXTON FULL-FRONT COACH
Year of manufacture 1949 Recorded mileage n/a Asking price £120,000 Vendor Automobiles Historiques, London; 07879 634432/0033 662 436 430; automobileshistoriques.com WHENITWASNEW Price n/a Max power 105bhp Max torque 345lb ft 0-30mph 30 secs Top speed 45mph Mpg 9
It’s slowly beginning to dawn on me that as an ever-so-slightly overweight 43-year-old, with two kids, two dogs and not much in the way of disposable income, I’m probably unlikely to suddenly land a new career as a racing driver. If by some miracle that does happen, however, then I’ve already found the vehicle that I shall be buying to cart around my race car.
Having left the Foden works in Sandbach, Cheshire, in 1949 as a Plaxtonbodied 33-seater, this marvellous machine was pressed into service with the Co-operative Wholesale Society of Glasgow and later became the first coach bought by Gray Line of Clackmannan for private hire. Its working life continued into the early ’ 70s, after which it fell into disrepair – there are some evocative images in the history file revealing the level of neglect it suffered before being rescued, along with photos of its time in service and during restoration.
Various bus and lorry enthusiasts then stepped in to ensure this handsome vehicle’s survival, and it also spent time in the Glencryan Preservation Trust and The Scottish Vintage Bus Museum. It was eventually given a bare-metal restoration by a Foden specialist in Sandbach whose team includes several former factory employees. It was then that the coach’s rebirth began after being spotted for sale by its current owner, who realised that, with a bit of imagination, it could be turned into a stylish and practical race transporter.
All but the front few rows of seats were removed, leaving plenty of space in the back for a good-sized historic racer (among its precious cargo over the years have been a Ford GT40, a Chevrolet Corvette and a Ford Mustang), and the rear end was modified with a large hatchback garage door. Charmingly, the original seats appear to have been retained along with the fabulous large sliding sunroof, and it remains a super-stylish machine even without that dual use, with elegant lines set off by a sweep of chrome and its cream-and-crimson paintwork with hand-painted signwriting reviving the old Grays Line livery.
Importantly for its new vocation, though, during the conversion the wheezing original 105bhp engine and crash gearbox were junked in favour of a Cummins six-cylinder turbodiesel with a modern manual transmission, along with powerassisted steering and servo brakes. That should give it enough muscle to haul both crew and car – and trailer if needs be – to the Spa Six Hours or Le Mans Classic, where you’re sure to be the toast of the paddock.