What are your favourite and least favourite bus liveries?

[swt class 450]

What are your favourite and least favourite bus liveries? What do you like or dislike about them?

You can include current companies or defunct companies that have shut down.

The new Arriva livery is one of my favourites. I think it looks really smart and nice. It is a nice simple livery as well. I think it really suits the buses. I like their other two older ones as well.

So these twelve are probably among my favorites:

• https://flic.kr/p/29APmCS - Arriva 3rd

• https://flic.kr/p/nWTUaQ - Arriva 2nd

• https://flic.kr/p/28A8FbP - Arriva 1st

• https://flic.kr/p/aLu3pp - Countryliner

• https://flic.kr/p/ajc4pm - Sunray Travel

• https://flic.kr/p/aBfGJL - Coastal Coaches

• https://flic.kr/p/ahzoR3 - Kent Top Travel

• https://flic.kr/p/xxZxM4 - Buses Excetera

• https://flic.kr/p/24m9bVe - Compass Bus

• https://flic.kr/p/ny6bb6 - Southdown PSV

• https://flic.kr/p/eSPq8U - Wiltshire Buses

• https://flic.kr/p/nP6aHD - Pennine Bus

A lot of these liveries i have linked are very simple (often just white with one other colour) but i think they work very well. I think the colours suits the bus. I quite like the liveries where it is mostly white but with a different colour at the bottom or at the top (or both).

My least favourite is anything designed by Ray Stenning (Best Impressions). This man has made a huge amount of money just reusing the same old livery hundreds of times but just changing the colours. They all look the same. You can always tell when a livery has been designed by him. I also find his liveries are all so boring. I don't know why he is so popular. So i am not a fan of any of those.

So what are your favourites and least favourites? What have been the best and worst liveries?

 

[goldisgood]

Ray Stenning has done many modern liveries, and some of those you'd think are copied with different colours are for a reason. Stagecoach's similar ones (King's City, Park and Ride Cambridge, Stagecoach Gold or South Downs, Coastliner) use the similar curve at the back to maintain some sort of similarity to other liveries, whilst (all?) new First liveries are based off one livery. The Transdev ones which I bet you are thinking of have the corporate livery in different colours, with signature rhombuses incorporated into most liveries. For a copied one, I'll accept Pride of the North and the Worcester spare bus which are slightly lazy, but how many non-enthusiasts will notice?
I find it odd how you find his liveries boring, yet you find 'simple' liveries such as those you have quoted above not boring? Does it matter who designs it, or if it bears similarities to other liveries, as long as it looks good which most of Ray's liveries do?

Probabaly my favourite modern livery, the old Rosso livery - its time came too soon! https://www.flickr.com/photos/rossendalewadey/33763523573

The latest Stagecoach Gold: https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrahamm/24539311567

This Plymouth Citybus livery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gbbuspics/14938351393/

First's newest Urban 2? livery with route branding: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147854362@N07/45859053162
This also works well with different colours for brands such as Discover (https://www.flickr.com/photos/dshtrains/44175026012) and Salt Road (https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/39838592403/)

Not quite a full livery, but the Stagecoach South route branding fits very well with the livery and is the best done by Stagecoach nationwide in my opinion: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kk70088/25872554388/

The new style of livery for Reading Buses looks great IMO: https://www.flickr.com/photos/75893855@N03/44782680470/

I like all of Trent Barton's new liveries, in paticular the mango livery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/guy_arab_uf/36064511644

The old Arriva Go Green mock-up on this Enviro 200 EV:

no photos used are mine.

 

[philthetube]

Least favourite is definitely the livery on the rear of any bus I wanted to catch.

 

[Mal]

Favourite livery is the old Edinburgh Corporation Madder and White with a thin gold band until that awful harlequin livery came in.
Worst livery is the new Arriva sky blue. It seems to have been designed by a bored 3year old.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Beginning to wonder about user1234.....

The fact that Best Impressions has a house look is not a surprise - they are designed to compliment the designs of ADL and Wright and if you read what Ray has said, there is a lot more that goes into the design than simply choosing a colour. Moreover, it's not just the exterior livery - it's something that in the best cases extends to internal presentation with seat materials, internal promotion (cove panels), timetables, network and route maps etc

The First designs are (with the exception of FSW) done with a standard template (Urban 2) at the insistence of First! The swapping of colours is at First's behest not Best Impressions.

I really struggle to understand why the new Arriva livery is singled out for praise and fully agree with the quote

Worst livery is the new Arriva sky blue. It seems to have been designed by a bored 3year old.

I know it's all subjective but it's terrible, and only moderately improved with accent colours like the purple for route branding. It's insipid and shapeless.

Personal faves:

First Kernow Mousehole https://www.flickr.com/photos/29197...Bt8-bkEG9s-bgPyW4-bgPjLZ-aLzKd8-a7k7ZG-8joKYU
First Kernow Tinner https://www.flickr.com/photos/29197...qnY-RZH1sU-RYwF7W-Rm7gd6-R1LbcE-Q4isaj-QaX96J
Northumbria Motor Services (on more modern vehicles but not on older designs like VRs) https://www.flickr.com/photos/35114...MDH-5w6X3H-5BjXp9-eGPmDr-5BjXqW-5gZGiY-5xVPZd
Midland Red North/Stevos (last version) https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosse...q-2edMqZw-7K3hd7-snx7Y9-s8fqhs-2dwupum-bw8aWQ
Wilts & Dorset https://www.flickr.com/photos/swbus...LNK-oR4iKm-iw9uuh-fS5Apr-aWr7zH-iSZxVs-gRT94c
Badgerline (mk 2) https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnm...kU-9ry3U6-apbtX8-fQBuAz-9rB4sE-283z7PD-juFanc
Busways - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mals_...YC5-6LGXQ2-9nc11s-6LGY6V-ecvCBx-abdUhd-azq9Z1
Cleveland Transit (post dereg) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/70221...qZ-25K68bF-dX8Mdt-dYJfeR-TeFAj2-kTR6qr-PQD1NH

Worst:
Midland Red North (BMMO cheapo retro) https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosse...gM1-mF7owv-bgQSnD-d6v6NL-6zP9a4-85K2xq-YdmBaH
Tees and District (original - yes, the skirt didn't come round the front on VRs) https://www.flickr.com/photos/nedba...b-2bRDTPz-SB2k43-TDD4Ey-QvsbHG-2ddS4XG-wP2fAP
Wilts & Dorset (Go Ahead) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/swbus...Cye-q1vToX-p3ACqf-rneLNK-oR4iKm-iw9uuh-fS5Apr
First GM (tomato soup) https://www.flickr.com/photos/27108...zXx-pJJieW-punNhT-pJJ2ds-puoYE4-pLNyYF-ombSS5
Merseybus (symphony of burgundy) https://www.flickr.com/photos/dmc19...Tx4-82dqJV-4fixhG-9QgEzf-a2Y2Gc-d4wBCW-2Hs5AH
United (experimental - tried on 3 buses and thankfully not continued) https://www.flickr.com/photos/markh...ist-ZtnXiR-fJoyjB-e6ZvM4-e8S3JY-QgHzsA-QgHzP7

 

[GusB]

Some favourites:
- Edinburgh/Lothian's "traditional" madder and white, although I do quite like the most recent incarnation
- Scottish Citylink v2
- Boroline Maidstone (similar colours to above) - I think that was also Stenning job
- SBG's "SCOTTISH" blue/white (as applied to M-types/Goldliner III)
- West Coast Motors, any version - they always looked tidy to me
- Allander Travel (I do like dark liveries)

Dislikes:
- Stagecoach stripes. I will concede that they looked okay on some types, but on others it looked awful. Its application wasn't consistent either, with some buses having thinner stripes than others with the same bodywork.
- First. I don't think there's any First livery I've ever liked, apart from in the very early days when it was different coloured variations on a GRT theme, and I'll admit that their latest isn't too bad. Barbie was hideous.
- Arriva. Boring. Just boring.
- Strathtay

 

[EnviroExplorer]

First's newest Urban 2? livery with route branding: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147854362@N07/45859053162
This also works well with different colours for brands such as Discover (https://www.flickr.com/photos/dshtrains/44175026012) and Salt Road (https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/39838592403/)

Thanks for the link of my Salt Road photo

I would agree with most on this list already mentioned, though not Arrivas new livery, far too basic and unimaginative. Got to say I like most of Rays liveries, some of the new Transdev are quite similar but still nice liveries anyway.

Some of my personal favourites are : (all photos used my own bar one)
Go Ahead London Commercial livery - a simple one that shows what can be done to an ordinary Red London bus (albeit now when they have been purchased new for commercial use!)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/43463503905/in/album-72157674883625337/

GSC Thamesdown livery - another one of Rays dual colour ones, this one really works well imo
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/26688705598/in/album-72157674883625337/

Bristol Unibus livery - rather angular but makes the E400MMC look all the more futuristic and modern
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/38633371800/in/album-72157674883625337/

Warrington Owns Buses - Cheshire Cat - another of Rays and a really smart brand
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/40276104220/in/album-72157674883625337/

Trent Barton’s Ilkeston Flyer - all of theirs are pretty good but the angled wings on the side do it for me on this one - https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/44041091655/in/album-72157674883625337/

As far as the new First styles go, I really like the coloured applications done on the Beeline Citaros, even the generic spare looks pretty good, the Lilac front going well with the regular darker shade at the rear
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/43155656481/in/album-72157674883625337/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/36504413862/in/album-72157688941871973/

More Bus livery is one of my favourites from GSC, though the others are all rather good too
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/34422770333/in/album-72157672046262066/

Xelabus livery go’s really well on the E200MMC, and is a nice livery overall
https://www.flickr.com/photos/solenteer/47070687552/in/faves-128470593@N05/ (Not my photo)

 

[Ken H]

the old Pennine Motors orange and black. nice coaches on stage carriage services. https://www.flickr.com/photos/selmerorselnec/33912016450/in/pool-penninemotorservices/

the old leeds City Transport green - http://www.kbmt.org.uk/vehicles/leeds-city-transport-916/

Samuel Legeard - https://www.flickr.com/photos/34678488@N07/5378794158/in/pool-samuel_ledgard/

 

[Mal]

That

the old Pennine Motors orange and black. nice coaches on stage carriage services. https://www.flickr.com/photos/selmerorselnec/33912016450/in/pool-penninemotorservices/

the old leeds City Transport green - http://www.kbmt.org.uk/vehicles/leeds-city-transport-916/

Samuel Legeard - https://www.flickr.com/photos/34678488@N07/5378794158/in/pool-samuel_ledgard/

A small correction - it was Samuel LEDGARD. Other than that KenH, thanks for reminding us all how simple liveries can have style and still be effective. All three buses and liveries above were distinctive and anyone waiting at a bus stop would know their bus just by the livery. The photos also show how much variety (and local civic pride) has been lost to the big groups corporate colours, though there are some localised exceptions.

 

[Ken H]

That


A small correction - it was Samuel LEDGARD. Other than that KenH, thanks for reminding us all how simple liveries can have style and still be effective. All three buses and liveries above were distinctive and anyone waiting at a bus stop would know their bus just by the livery. The photos also show how much variety (and local civic pride) has been lost to the big groups corporate colours, though there are some localised exceptions.

thanks for correction. Sammy Ledgard stopped when i was a kid. I should have noticed from the link. Doh!

Does anyone remember Vanguard coaches of Bulkington, near Nuneaton. They ran a fleet of old Scottish buses. They did an Atherstone Nuneaton-Birmingham 2 a day service that thrashed down the M6. You hoped your teeth stayed in! I mentioned them because their buses were a similar blue to Sammy Ledgard.

Pix here. scroll down to see the old Scottish buses.

 

[richw]

I do like First Kernow green. Nice bright colours.
Some great one off specials as well:

 

[Andyh82]

I would agree with that, I’m a fan of two tone green liveries, Southern Vectis is another one.

I know Best Impressions gets very samey, but they do look very smart and the two shades of the same colour style always looks good.

I didn’t mind original Barbie, it looks modern when introduced, but barbie 2 was one of the worst ever and didn’t look good on anything.

Arriva’s new livery is terrible, just so plain. The implementation of the new livery is particularly annoying in places like Yorkshire where they had locally gone quite far down the road with strong branding on the current livery, with Sapphire, Max, Frequenta, hybrid green used extensively, and suddenly that was all abandoned. There is now a situation where all those brands still exist but they aren’t really promoting them as they are now defunct brands, so the services aren’t promoted at all.

 

[swt class 450]

Thanks for the replies. Interesting to see some other liveries.

Another one i don't like is the new Newbury & District livery that Reading Buses unveiled yesterday (although the previous one wasn't that good either). It looks almost exactly the same as the NXWM route 9 Platinum livery. Another example of Best Impressions just reusing the same liveries over and over again. I find that the black just makes the buses look too dark and just doesn't look very good.

Surprised at the dislike if the new Arriva livery. I have always thought it is a good one. I think the colour suits the buses well and i really like the nice simplicity of it.

 

[Non Multi]

My top favourite:

• Delaine of Bourne

Other favourites:

• Reading Rail Air livery (2018)
• Oxford Tube (current)
• Oxford Bus Company (current and 1990's red, white and blue livery including Wycombe Bus livery)
• NX West Midlands (current)
• Lothian (current and 2000's diamonds)
• Chiltern Rover (Luton & District 1990's)
• Arriva (late 1990's cream and blue; single decker application)
• Arriva Saphire livery
• Travel West Midlands - early 2000's diagonal blue & red (single decker application)
• Badgerline (1990's big badger version)
• Wilts and Dorset 1990's livery
• Reading Buses 1990's livery
• London United 1990's and early 2000's (red, light grey top deck - grey skirt)
• London General 1990's/2000's (red, yellow stripe above dark grey skirt)
• GreenLine coach mid 1990's
• Tellings Golden Miller 1990's/2000's bus livery (white with blue roof and skirt with yellow stripe)
• RATP Paris bus livery (current)
• PostBus Switzerland (current)

 

[Lynford1976]

The new Arriva livery is one of my favourites. I think it looks really smart and nice. It is a nice simple livery as well. I think it really suits the buses. I like their other two older ones as well.

So these twelve are probably among my favorites:

• https://flic.kr/p/29APmCS - Arriva 3rd

• https://flic.kr/p/nWTUaQ - Arriva 2nd

• https://flic.kr/p/28A8FbP - Arriva 1st

My least favourite is anything designed by Ray Stenning (Best Impressions). This man has made a huge amount of money just reusing the same old livery hundreds of times but just changing the colours. They all look the same. You can always tell when a livery has been designed by him. I also find his liveries are all so boring. I don't know why he is so popular. So i am not a fan of any of those.

The original Arriva livery was designed by Ray Stenning. Just saying.

 

[PeterC]

Least favourite, the old NBC poppy red.
Favourites Oxford pre NBC.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Some of my favourites:

Beeline - https://flic.kr/p/aSsEG4
Hodges - https://flic.kr/p/23NBEFK
Reptons - https://flic.kr/p/29i1Xz8
Thames Travel - https://flic.kr/p/fDZ6v9
Xelabus - https://flic.kr/p/UGEK8n

I hate the new Arriva livery - very plain and boring in my opinion. I also don’t like the new Salisbury Reds livery - https://twitter.com/salisburyreds/status/1097906005944475649?s=21

 

[swt class 450]

I agree that the Reptons one is very nice. That is a good livery.

 

[carlberry]

My least favourite is anything designed by Ray Stenning (Best Impressions). This man has made a huge amount of money just reusing the same old livery hundreds of times but just changing the colours. They all look the same. You can always tell when a livery has been designed by him. I also find his liveries are all so boring. I don't know why he is so popular. So i am not a fan of any of those.

I'm afraid you've got to add East Yorkshire to your naughty list now:
https://www.stevenknightmedia.com/fleet-news-ramblings

 

[padbus]

I'm afraid you've got to add East Yorkshire to your naughty list now:
https://www.stevenknightmedia.com/fleet-news-ramblings

That's really bad. East Yorkshire buses should be BLUE.

 

[padbus]

Least favourite, the old NBC poppy red.
Favourites Oxford pre NBC.

Nothing can compare with City of Oxford's red, maroon and duck egg green. Best bus livery ever.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That's really bad. East Yorkshire buses should be BLUE.

Aside from the RMs, the odd heritage and promo vehicle and coaches, the buses have been blue for 47 years (1926-1973) and red/burgundy for 46 years (1973-date).

 

[laststop@96]

stagecoach express livery x76 glasgow to kilmarnock
https://www.flickr.com/photos/busmanscotland/33381162688/in/pool-3045631@N21/

 

[Jordan Adam]

My all time favourite is the 1988 Grampian livery.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/william-walker/16990919745/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/william-walker/5301598338/

Some other favourites...

• Northern Scottish City Bus: https://www.flickr.com/photos/iainrobbie9/7145031427
• First Aberdeen Park & Ride Olympia: https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrahamm/14673620588/
• Barbie 3: https://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/11456747964
• Madder & White: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cuthbus/6864632051/
• Old Lothian Country Scheme: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59895433@N00/16348289433/

Hates...

• 
  
• All Arriva Corporate Schemes
• Stagecoach Beachball (Was okay at first but it doesn't sit very well on most modern bus types and is now pretty outdated)
• Barbie 2
• The Rancid new EYMS scheme.
• Lothian "Staircase" livery.
• All East Coast Buses liveries.
• Xplore Dulldee

I can't think of any others right now!

 

[Statto]

The old Merseyside PTE Green/Cream/Brown, familiar site for me when i was growing up https://www.flickr.com/photos/samrail/8758204214/
GMPTE/GM Buses White/Orange/Brown https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_love/4415107928/in/photostream/
Liked NBC Crosville Green livery, NBC Green was far better than the Poppy Red livery, NBC would have been better sticking to darker Red or Cherry
Quite like current Stagecoach swooshes livery, but dislike the Gold livery, Stagecoach stripes were suited to single deckers than double deckers
Capital Citybus livery was quite nice https://www.flickr.com/photos/24759744@N02/8678472539/ even the revised Red/Yellow too
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16867856@N07/12986057093/
Grey Green was a nice livery as well https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishbuses/10843463326/
Dislike the new Arriva livery, mind you i disliked the Arriva livery anyway they got rid of some nice liveries, like both Midland Red operations

 

[GusB]

My all time favourite is the 1988 Grampian livery.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/william-walker/16990919745/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/william-walker/5301598338/

There was an experimental version of that livery that I rather liked. Here's a shot of 121, also from Mr Walker's collection (and branded to advertise the Farecard):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/william-walker/5340295019/

I always thought it looked good when used for other GRT acquisitions too, especially Midland Bluebird. It got a bit messed up when it came round to applying it to the SMT fleet, though!

 

[Alexbus12]

That's really bad. East Yorkshire buses should be BLUE.

I agree

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I agree

They’ve not been blue for 46 years

 

[PeterC]

Nothing can compare with City of Oxford's red, maroon and duck egg green. Best bus livery ever.

SWMBO, who is an artist, saw one when we went into Oxford on a running day and was seriously impressed.

The 1950s / 60s Green Line dark (Lincoln?) green with leaf green trim was pretty bland on an RT but seemed to compliment the RF perfectly.

 

[Bus Lightyear]

Here's some good ones

Glasgow Corporation
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tcd48...f89-rXTP6a-x7xhNf-yzXxy3-xmVosJ-viba7m-aC5kmV

MacBraynes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14738...day-okzEXz-9fBtSF-cWzGth-dhyPUm-dqbNfy-ceGnxs

Hull Corporation - GGPTE - GMPTE
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10536...dNb-5yBjSp-9WNuJG-dz1aaf-99Ek1d-23SMfLr-oYe7g