Volvo Buses

In the 1960s, most UK residents would only know Volvo as a builder of sensible and safe private cars. Some who had ventured beyond these shores might have encountered Swedish-built Volvo trucks and buses, but the UK bus market was proving a more difficult nut to crack. For years, virtually every new bus delivered to a UK operator had been built in the UK; this was the way it had been done since the 1940s, when there were still plenty of suppliers to satisfy requirements. But, as the 1970s began, things were about to change. As Volvo took its first cautious steps into the UK market, even the most ambitious of its managers would never have dreamt that within 20 years it would have garnered enough success to buy the seemingly indominable Leyland. Yet, it did. This is the story of Volvo’s increasing presence in the UK bus market. It covers chassis and complete vehicles sold into the UK and Irish markets, concentrating on Volvos that were used on local bus, local coach and express coach services.