Description
Book SynopsisThe coach – distinguished from the bus by its use for longer-haul and more comfortable trips – has a long and august history. Its origins lie in the charabanc, a long open-topped vehicle used to transport passengers on works outings and pleasure excursions. Over time, coaches came to be enclosed and fitted with more comfortable seating and higher-quality bodywork than the charabancs and the buses used on shorter routes. By the 1960s and 1970s on-board toilets began to be fitted, and despite a decline due to private car ownership, coach travel remains popular, with Wi-Fi, electric sockets and even video screens now built in. This colourful introduction explains the development of motor coach design and the main coach manufacturers, models and operators, offering a fascinating insight into the history of the nation’s most popular vehicles.
Trade ReviewAn excellent, well-illustrated and very comprehensive yet compact book that enlightened me to many aspects of coaches and coach travel through the years. I enjoyed reading every page. -- Kim Henson * Wheels-Alive *
Table of ContentsFrom Charabanc to Express Coach Luxury Travel: the 1930s Wartime and Austerity: The 1940s and 1950s Winds of Change: The 1960s and 1970s Modern Times Further Reading Places to Visit Index
