Plaxton-bodied AEC Reliance coach.
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I didn't crop the first of the two AEC coach photos I have, because I wanted to leave in the small coach stop (or transport cafe) just visible in the background, beginning with "Mayb...". After peering at the photo for a while I made out the "Wallace Arnold" writing above the windscreens, although it is a little blurred. The destination blind shows 'Blackpool', so my guess is this was a day trip to the coastal resort. A note on the rear of this photo says "Jeff & coach - Blackpool September 1963". I'm not 100% sure whether Jeff is one of the daytrippers, or perhaps the driver of the coach? he does appear to be wearing a smart outfit with a couple of badges on his lapel, so perhaps he did drive this AEC Reliance.
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A search online brought up some more information on this particular AEC, registration number 8331U. It was delivered new in 1958 to Wallace Arnold, a coach operator then based in Leeds. Chassis number is MU3RA1956, and the body is by Plaxton - either a Panorama or possibly a Consort? I've not been able to find a record of 8331 U surviving in preservation, but sister Reliance coach, registration 8332U, certainly does - it appears on many websites, including this one, which is Plaxton's own site. This confirms that the coach shown here was finished in a cream colour.
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The second photo (below) shows a couple of ladies stood next to the coach at a different stop (the front wheels are at a different angle). It would seem to be a sunny day as the blinds in the curved upper rooflights are drawn. The side trim on this Reliance differs slightly to that seen on the preserved 8332U, but there's no doubting that they came from the same coachworks. Interestingly there is a motto,written in Latin, on the side of the coach - was this a regular feature on all Wallace Arnold vehicles? it reads (I think) 'INDUSTRIAE NIL IMPOSSIBILE'. Perhaps someone who knows Latin could let me know what this motto says exactly? This photo is also dated September 1963, although was taken on a different roll of film and developed at a different time perhaps - the second photo has Ilford on the back, and the photo is greyer than the first, whereas the top photo has a more sepia tint to it and no photographic company name on the back.
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Return to Old Vehicle Photos Page 6. AEC enthusiasts may also like to see this page, featuring an ex-military AEC Matador lorry.
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