Is this just pure co-incidence: South West Trains and Southwest airline having similar liveries?

[shakey1961]

Not sure if this is the correct section to be posting this, but please move if need be.

Are these two liveries just total co-incidence or are the two companies linked?

 

[Mike395]

This question comes up from time to time - it's pure coincidence, though I can see why people think they might be linked!

 

[Ianno87]

It's why I like to call the airline "South West Planes"

 

[Mag_seven]

Given that the font and use of capitals is completely different I don't understand how anyone would think they were linked.

 

[AlterEgo]

Not sure if this is the correct section to be posting this, but please move if need be.

Are these two liveries just total co-incidence or are the two companies linked?



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South West Trains was owned by a Scottish bus company.

There’s no link to Southwest Airlines, a Texan budget airline.

 

[DarloRich]

without wishing to be rude - Surely any research into the company ownership of each company would provide the answer! Although looking at the livery it is easy to see why there could be a connection between the two companies

 

[Bletchleyite]

It may of course be that there is a link in the form of Souter or their agency (Best Impressions?) liking the airline's blue based livery and so choosing it for their regional services (originally they used only the white based one which is now for "IC" services only). Though the colours have been, independently, both Stagecoach and SWA colours for years, so there is likely to be a fair element of bizarre coincidence!

Or indeed vice versa:

https://viewfromthewing.boardingare...est-didnt-actually-pay-new-paint-jobs-design/

 

[Joe Paxton]

It may of course be that there is a link in the form of Souter or their agency (Best Impressions?) liking the airline's blue based livery and so choosing it for their regional services (originally they used only the white based one which is now for "IC" services only). Though the colours have been, independently, both Stagecoach and SWA colours for years, so there is likely to be a fair element of bizarre coincidence!

Or indeed vice versa:

https://viewfromthewing.boardingare...est-didnt-actually-pay-new-paint-jobs-design/

Yep, pre 2001 the Southwest airline livery looked like this.

From 2001 to 2014 it looked like this.

From 2014 onwards, it has looked like this.

So perhaps the 2001 switch from gold to blue may have been inspired, at least in part, by the SWT livery.

 

[Muzer]

Yep, pre 2001 the Southwest airline livery looked like this.

From 2001 to 2014 it looked like this.

From 2014 onwards, it has looked like this.

So perhaps the 2001 switch from gold to blue may have been inspired, at least in part, by the SWT livery.

...And that middle one is somewhat reminiscent of this! (South West Trains's slamdoor livery)

 

[AM9]

...And that middle one is somewhat reminiscent of this! (South West Trains's slamdoor livery)

Maybe the pre-2001 livery was inspired by the L&SE 'jaffa cake' colours.

 

[Muzer]

Well, we'll know for sure if they change their name to South Western Airways and switch to a grey, black and light blue livery...

 

[Starmill]

It's why I like to call the airline "South West Planes"

It's like First Claaaas on a Southwest Plane!

 

[GusB]

The liveries do look remarkably similar. I often wonder if the original Stagecoach "stripes" was inspired by the United Airlines "Rainbow" livery.

 

[306024]

It's why I like to call the airline "South West Planes"

Very good

Many years ago Anglia Railways had a slogan ‘our people make the difference’

Around that time I flew with Southwest, whose slogan was ‘our people make the difference’

Co-incidence?

 

[paulravuslante]

It's why I like to call the airline "South West Planes"

Welcome aboard this South West Planes service to Dallas, calling at Clapham Junction

 

[TwistedMentat]

As an avgeek I'm hugely disappointed in myself for not noticing this before.

 

[AlterEgo]

Welcome aboard this South West Planes service to Dallas, calling at Clapham Junction

If it was truly American you'd say "South West Planes flight 123 with service to..."

The "with service to" has always grated when hanging around US airports!

 

[fairysdad]

Welcome aboard this South West Planes service to Dallas, calling at Clapham Junction

... if you see something that doesn't look right...

 

[paulravuslante]

If it was truly American you'd say "South West Planes flight 123 with service to..."

The "with service to" has always grated when hanging around US airports!

I hadn’t heard of that. I was thinking of Celia’s announcements on SWT anyway.

... if you see something that doesn't look right...

Eeeep! Best not give the airline’s ideas!

 

[Highlandspring]

The liveries do look remarkably similar. I often wonder if the original Stagecoach "stripes" was inspired by the United Airlines "Rainbow" livery.

The original - as in 1981 - Stagecoach livery was basically a version of the livery applied by Duple coachbuilders to their demonstrator/dealer stock vehicles. Stagecoach (at that time “The Stage Coach”) obtained one of these buses, FES831W, and kept the livery, eventually developing it into their own by changing the original mustard yellow to orange on the way. There was a lot of variation in early Stagecoach liveries, a quick search on Flickr will reveal a whole host of different treatments before the corporate image settled down.

 

[Lockwood]

Surely that plane is on a regional service and not a suburban. Shouldn't it be white?

 

[GusB]

The original - as in 1981 - Stagecoach livery was basically a version of the livery applied by Duple coachbuilders to their demonstrator/dealer stock vehicles. Stagecoach (at that time “The Stage Coach”) obtained one of these buses, FES831W, and kept the livery, eventually developing it into their own by changing the original mustard yellow to orange on the way. There was a lot of variation in early Stagecoach liveries, a quick search on Flickr will reveal a whole host of different treatments before the corporate image settled down.

I hadn't realised it was a variation of the stock Duple livery. A few local independents based their liveries on that which appeared on early Plaxton Paramount coaches (looking at you, Mayne's of Buckie), so it wouldn't surprise me. Anyway, this is off-topic so I'll say no more on the subject!