The Austin CXB Coach.
The CXB coach was reintroduced in March 1947, a few having been manufactured in 1939.
It had a 15ft wheelbase an overall length of 25ft and a 3.5 or 4.0 litre
6-cylinder petrol engine. Bodywork was usually by Mann Egerton for a 28
seater coach or by Mulliner for a 30 seater bus. (This was as many as could
be carried under British Regulations.) Austin withdrew from the British
coach market in 1954.
There are only a handful of Austin CXB Coaches left today. KYE 782, for example,
was built in 1950 and supplied to Car Contracts of London, SE5.
When purchased by Jones of Newtown, Powys in 1981 it had been left in a
field for a number of years and was in poor condition but still in the
livery of Avard Coaches. The coach was back on the road by 1987,
re-registered FSU 508, and working on behalf of the Mid Wales Development
Authority and finally returned to PSV service in 1997.
The vehicle still carried the Cream and Brown livery of Avards
Coaches - a livery it carried for over 50 years.
During the year 2000, the vehicle was displayed at the Biggin Hill Air Show
where it won an award for being the best H.C.V.S. vehicle and, in November
the original registration, KYE 782, was restored to the vehicle.
In 2003 KYE 782 was sold to Retro Ceremoniewagens in Belgium.
Click here for their Dutch language site:
Retro Ceremoniewagens
