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What do you think are the ugliest buses ever built?

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ChilternTurbo

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It was mentioned earlier but I always thought that the East Lancs National Greenway took a bus design that still looked ok, timeless even and made it considerably uglier. The London General Red Arrow examples were also fitted out with nasty seats that had the comfort of a park bench and were not a patch on the previous ones that were binned as part of the Blackburn Dr Frankenstein conversion...
I also really dislike the Optare Versa with it's massive front overhang and featureless front. The whole thing look top heavy and ill-proportioned. A shame as Optare have produced some really attractive designs that still look good today - the Delta and Spectra come to mind.
 
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Bletchleyite

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I don’t think they’re particularly bad looking, but you’re right about them being cheap and nasty. Pretty much every panel rattled like crazy, and the seats had virtually no padding. I travelled on this very vehicle in the picture many times, as well as others from the batch and it was never a comfortable experience. I wasn’t sad to see the back of them when they left.

TBH I think anything with squared-off single glazed gasket windows looks cheap and nasty. But there's something about those specific ones that make them look like little more than a low-floor version of a breadvan with seats.
 

Bletchleyite

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I also really dislike the Optare Versa with it's massive front overhang and featureless front. The whole thing look top heavy and ill-proportioned. A shame as Optare have produced some really attractive designs that still look good today - the Delta and Spectra come to mind.

Interesting, as I think the Versa is one of the most attractive looking buses going.
 

MotCO

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Two spring to mind. Silcox bodied some of their own buses with strange results.

Also the B10Ms rebodied for Grey Green as double deckers with short rear overhang.

(Neither are my photos)
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Can't believe that we've talked about East Lancs bodies but missed this out


Just to prove that Barrow Borough Transport didn't have an eye for beauty

 

MotCO

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The Boris Bus. Don't get me started!

The Boris Bus is many things, but I would not say it was ugly. There are many worst examples in this thread - my personal worst is the hideous Silcox double decker I quoted earlier:

Two spring to mind. Silcox bodied some of their own buses with strange results.

(Not my photo)
 

Bus Lightyear

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Some of Marshall's earlier attempts at bus building left a lot to be desired.
 

Bus Lightyear

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The ugliest modern day designs for me.
 

GusB

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Some of Marshall's earlier attempts at bus building left a lot to be desired.
AS1 looked even worse after it had the front end rebuilt.

With reference to the Duple Laser posted upthread, I was never a fan of the original Laser, nor its higher-floor Caribbean cousin, especially with the twin headlight arrangement. The restyled Laser II and Caribbean II were far more pleasing to the eye. The bonded side glazing made a difference too.
 

Bus Lightyear

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AS1 looked even worse after it had the front end rebuilt.

With reference to the Duple Laser posted upthread, I was never a fan of the original Laser, nor its higher-floor Caribbean cousin, especially with the twin headlight arrangement. The restyled Laser II and Caribbean II were far more pleasing to the eye. The bonded side glazing made a difference too.
Just looked at that there. Absolutely awful looking thing.
 

upasalmon

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Back in time for this one- the Park Royal bodies fitted to Liverpool Corporations final buses Bristol RELL6Gs 2001-2025 (SKB 671-695G) of 1969 were an odd mix but fairly grotesque. One is preserved but even ugly buses need saving!
 

Journeyman

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The Northern General "Wearsider" was an odd looking thing - a rebuild of one of their Routemasters after accident damage, with the cab moved backwards to allow driver only operation.
 

DunsBus

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In its original form, the Alexander AM body sat well on the Renault-Dodge S56. However, when both were restyled in 1987, the end result was this. Suddenly, the swan became an ugly duckling!

 

py_megapixel

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duncombec

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I don’t think they’re particularly bad looking, but you’re right about them being cheap and nasty. Pretty much every panel rattled like crazy, and the seats had virtually no padding. I travelled on this very vehicle in the picture many times, as well as others from the batch and it was never a comfortable experience. I wasn’t sad to see the back of them when they left.

I have a recollection that First London had to replace the small window next to the dual doors with a panel in their DD versions to add some extra strength to the bodywork.
 

MotCO

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I have a recollection that First London had to replace the small window next to the dual doors with a panel in their DD versions to add some extra strength to the bodywork.

Yes, you're right:


(Not my photos)
 

alex397

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Time for a controversial one: the latest revision of ADL Enviro200. The combination of the rather generic boxy look with the odd quirk that is the asymmetric glossy black plastic panel underneath the windscreen on the nearside just looks a bit silly in my opinion.

I think that is controversial! But of course its all subjective.
The MMC range is a big improvement to what it replaced, in my opinion.

Something which may be even more controversial is a bit more historical - I think the Southdown 'Queen Mary' Leylands are very ugly!
 

jammy36

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Just to prove that Barrow Borough Transport didn't have an eye for beauty

Two more Barrow beauties and they're East Lancs for you too @TheGrandWazoo

Dominator - with East Lancs lean-to engine bay

And a beautifully proportioned Fleetline

Did the have a thing for buying double deck chassis as single deckers?!
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Two more Barrow beauties and their East Lancs for you too @TheGrandWazoo

Dominator - with East Lancs lean-to engine bay

And a beautifully proportioned Fleetline

Did the have a thing for buying double deck chassis as single deckers?!

A few municipals did that. Darlington had single deck Fleetlines and Marshall bodied Dominators!

I'd forgotten that Barrow had those EL Dominators. Mind you, Hartlepool had some too...and two batches of Falcons.
 

DunsBus

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Here's one of the Willowbrook-bodied Atlanteans, new to Tyne & Wear PTE, which I mentioned back in post #16. By the time of this photo, the batch was in the course of withdrawal. 592 seen here was one of a handful from that batch which lasted long enough to receive Sunderland Busways livery.


Contrast 592 with sister 586, seen here in Tyne & Wear PTE livery.

 

TheGrandWazoo

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Here's one of the Willowbrook-bodied Atlanteans, new to Tyne & Wear PTE, which I mentioned back in post #16. By the time of this photo, the batch was in the course of withdrawal. 592 seen here was one of a handful from that batch which lasted long enough to receive Sunderland Busways livery.


Contrast 592 with sister 586, seen here in Tyne & Wear PTE livery.

Willowbrook did have form... https://www.flickr.com/photos/12808...-bYwAyq-cuLiES-2cDdm2B-ca2s1G-Uxk6MX-2duQpCG/

What about some awful Strachans bodies? The worst looking REs ever?


Or this...

 

Romsey

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The Southampton Titans and AEC Regents with Park Royal bodywork are a worthy competitor. As shown at the start of this clip. uneven sized windows and a lack of unified design. No wonder SCT went to East Lancs after those batches!
1596319715018.png
 

Bus Lightyear

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Some of the recent posts mentioning Willowbrook has reminded me of this rebodied Leyland Leopard operated by the long defunct Henderson Travel. It does look a bit like a Leyland Lynx.
 
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