Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co
The Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company of Clare Street House, Bristol aka Bristol Buses'
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1887 The Bristol Tramways company was merged into the new Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co, with George White as managing director, helped by his brother Samuel[1]
1895 White became a pioneer of electric tramways, starting with the scheme in Bristol.
1900 White became chairman of Bristol Tramways in 1900. Under his leadership the company introduced motor buses in 1906.
1906 The company began running buses with Thornycroft vehicles, and then Berliet and FIAT vehicles soon after that.
1907 Commenced the manufacture of buses at its Brislington depot.
1930 With Midland Red Co, acquired Black and White Motorways of Cheltenham.
1931 Western National Omnibus Co, acquired a controlling interest in Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co Ltd[2]; Western National was an associated company of National Omnibus and Transport Co, which was controlled by the Thomas Tilling Group.
1932 Ceased production of lorries to concentrate on buses
1947 The company was nationalised.
1953 Re-commenced the making of lorries
1955 Bristol chassis production was separated from the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co bus operating activities and renamed Bristol Commercial Vehicles.
1963 Bristol Commercial Vehicles became part of the Transport Holding Co
1965 Leyland Motors took a 25% share in Bristol. They then sold to operators outside the nationalised sector.
1969 The National Bus Company was formed and took 50% of Bristol.
1969 National Bus Co formed a joint venture with British Leyland (the 25% owner of Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co and Eastern Coach Works), by means of which British Leyland became a 50% owner of the NBC's manufacturing companies. The joint venture designed and built a new single-deck bus, the Leyland National. The first bus was delivered in 1972, and it remained in production until 1986. The National was also available to other bus operators.
1975 Leyland and the National Bus Company set up joint manufacturers which controlled Bristol, Eastern Coach Works and Leyland National.
1983 Leyland wanted to cut surplus capacity, so decided to close Bristol.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris
- British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
- Buses and Trolleybuses before 1919 by David Kaye. Published 1972