Before 1955 the Bristol Commercial Vehicles Ltd. was known as Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company which had been a bus operator and manufacturer since 1908. In 1968, Bristol Commercial Vehicles Ltd. came under the control of the British Leyland Motor Corporation. During its long history of making buses, Bristol had designed several very successful models including the LD Lodekka (low decker) in 1954, the RE with rear engine in 1962 and the VR with vertical rear engine in 1966. Buses made by Bristol were widely used in the United Kingdom and were also exported to India, South Africa and New Zealand. The original model of the well known Leyland Olympian was also designed and manufactured by Bristol between 1981 and 1983 before closure of its factory in Bristlington.

Bristol LH (Malta)

Bristol Loddeka (Japan, United States)

Bristol RE (United Kingdom)

Bristol VRT Mk III (Canada, New Zealand)

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Page created: 12 March 2000

Last updated: 9 October 2011